'Stretcher-bearers': (40) Line Routine - Winter 1944

Line Routine, Winter '44

Every third day we take on 24 hours in the slit trenches, which, in spite of complaints, seems a reasonable arrangement compared with the routine of the infantry. They tell us that they spend four days in the trenches and four days right back beyond shell and mortar range.
Our task in the line is to pick up the wounded and take them back to the RAP.. When we are out of the trenches we spent 48 hours at the RAP, within shell and mortar range, but it would be difficult to score a direct hit with a shell. (This statement was soon proved over-optimistic.)
At the RAP we evacuate stretcher cases to the ADS. We generally have only a few cases each day , since the line is static except for patrols, and both sides appear to be digging duringin for the winter.
During our third turn in the trenches we evacuated a stretcher case shortly before midnight. The man had been wounded in the back of the head and in the left leg by a grenade. He was badly shocked and persisted in trying to roll off the stretcher.
We had difficulty finding our way in the darkness and our relief squad, scheduled to meet us half way in front of the RAP, missed us completely, possibly because we decided to evacuate along the skyline under cover of darkness. Eventually we delivered our patient to the RAP.
There was just one ""stonk"" (a short concentrated attack) during the night, and the occasional pip-pipping overhead of Jerry's Spandau machine gun.
The only other incident worthy of report was a "lame duck" mortar which came over at a comfortable distance, sounding as if it were hopping along on one cylinder. For some unaccountable reason the two of us started laughing hysterically.
We evacuated from the RAP two bodies. They bore no signs of external injury and must have suffocated when a shell blew their slit trench in on top of them.
Evacuated another mortar casualty - head wounds - serious.
Our fourth night in the slit trenches was uneventful. No mortars dropped near. Our guns were noisy, but otherwise we had a good night's rest.

Our turn to spent a fifth 24 hours in the trenches during this stint came round again today, but since Allenby, Peel, Davies and Tivers had all left our section, going down the line and being replaced by newcomers, including one extra, only two of the original members were required to fill the section and I had the good luck to win a bye. So Corporal MacKenzie and Clements left with the section at 2 p.m. and I remained with the two other squads at the ES RAP.
About 3 p.m. Twinning, officer's batman , arrived. Following a row, Major....had banished him from the officer's mess and sent him forward to the sections.
His arrival meant that one man could be relieved and sent back to the Lancs RAP, some 600 yards down the hill. The privilege again fell to me, being the odd man out, but since Sears was in poor health, he went instead of me. We were both pleased with this arrangement, because I wanted to stay with Cpl. MacKenzie, the soundest NCO, perhaps, in the company
We had two more dead and a stretcher case to evacuate in the morning. That night, about 11.30 p.m., we were called out to take over a wounded officer from the hill and met MacKenzie and Macdonald supporting the man as the limped down.
Once in the RAP this young lieutenant became quite voluble, describing in detail how he came to be hit. He showed great courage and was obviously of good public school stock. His bantering became somewhat ridiculous, his conversation with the MO reminiscent of a stage farce.
MO. "What's your army number, old man? A mere formality, you know."
Officer. "Let me see now. I really don't know. Last three figures 186, or are they 816?"
MO. "And your years of service, old fellow?"
Officer. "Too long, by George, too long!"
By the time we had carried him past the Lancs RAP to the ADS, for a short distance accompanying him on a Jeep converted to take two stretchers, it was well past midnight and we took about half an hour to return to our house. Here we found that Hibberd had been taken ill with gastric trouble and the MO had given him an injection.
In the morning, off duty, I went down to the Lancashires' RAP for a haircut, sitting on an upturned bucket.
Returned to find that another patient was expected , so took over Hibberd's place with a section of HQ.
Jerry had been sending over a few and, as we left our house, he lobbed over a "wrong un" which landed some 20 yards above us on the hill. It was a dud, but even so, we saw the earth fly up as we lay prone on the path.
The patient had a wounded shoulder, so we took him to the East Surrey RAP. Fortunately, tea was ready, so we adjourned while he was being treated.
While we were drinking another stonk landed and shrapnel struck the walls of our upstairs room. Most of the mortars however - possible a few were shells - fell closer to the valley, near the mule point and the L's RAP.
When this stonk had died down we carried the patient into the valley and came upon half a dozen American Field Ambulances, as well as the customary Jeeps, evacuating dead and wounded, since a shell or mortar had scored a direct hit on the Lancashires' RAP.
We immediately loaded our patient and helped to place the last body on an ambulance.
Our light section stayed at the RAP. Sears alone, who had been sent back in my place owing to illness, was wounded in the hand by shrapnel. Such are the fortunes of war.
Of the rest on the scene Staff Sergeant B..., who was coping with this kind of experience for the first time, did not detail reliefs and sent us back with no substitute for Hibberd. I found myself tranferred to Cpl S's... section and we left at 1.30 p.m. for the trenches.
Next evening we were called out to carry back a casualty, but there was a misunderstanding and the patient was able to walk.
We went back to bed afterwards, to be summoned again less than half an hour later, this time for a man seriously wounded in the leg. His lower left limb was shattered.
We carried this man to the RAP and waited until he had been treated before calling in to carry him to the ADS.
The MO told us to be careful, so we left the room very slowly. I had to go backwards to clear a very narrow door, but the MO, thinking that I should have faced round the other way, soundly rated me in front of the RAP staff, declaring, "Don't ever carry a patient like that again." I was now outside the door, the patient safe on the stretcher, so did not delay to argue. It was not until we had arrived with our burden at the ADS that I began to reflect how docile I had been to accept the rebuke without protest, so resolved to call in at the RAP on the way back to settle unfinished business. The result was a "scene" which, as the MO stated, caused him to be "absolutely livid."
I think I made up for points lost in the first encounter.
Next day Cpl. MacKenzie relieved us in the trenches. He was the only one of our original nine to complete his 6th turn in the trenches during this particular stint.
We returned to the RAP where, about 6 p.m. our replacements appeared, Dickenson, Gregson, Onions, Morris and Crossley.
Two days later Dickenson and Gregson were wounded by mortars.

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