"Crumps": The Plain Story of a Canadian who Went

Front Cover
Houghton Mifflin, 1917 - 155 pages

From inside the book

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 84 - Marching through the sloughed-up mud, through shell holes filled with putrid water, amongst most depressing conditions, I saw a working party returning to their billets. They were wet through and wrapped up with scarves, wool helmets, and gloves. Over their clothes was a veneer of plastered mud. They marched along at a slow swing and in a mournful way sang — Left— Left — Left We — are — the tough Guys!
Page 58 - But now we have been given new black boots, magnificent things, huge, heavy "ammunition boots," and the wonderful thing is they don't let water in. They are very big and look like punts, but it's dry feet now. I can tell you I am as pleased with them as if some one had given me a present of cold cash.
Page 106 - It's all arranged for you, if there's a bit of shell or a bullet with your name on it you'll get it, so you've nothing to worry about. You are a soldier — then be one. This is the philosophy of the trenches.
Page 140 - Few people realize how much aeroplanes figure in this war, 140 for war would be much different without them. They do the work of Cavalry only in the sky. Whenever they come over, the sentries blow three blasts on their whistles and everybody runs for cover or freezes; guns stop firing and are covered up with branches made on frames. If men are caught in the...
Page 113 - Everybody up here is infested with them. I have tried smearing myself with kerosene, but that does not seem to trouble them at all. Silk underwear is supposed to keep them down. I suppose their feet slip on the shiny surface.
Page 80 - Later in the evening from a trench we had the satisfaction of seeing another aeroplane set on fire, burn, and drop into the German lines like a shot partridge. Aeroplanes are as common as birds. Yesterday a "Pfeil" (arrow) biplane came right over our lines and was chased off by our own machines.
Page 58 - Once they become moulded to the feet they are fine. Of course they are not pretty, but they keep the wet out. We have had new tunics issued to us of the regular English pattern, much more comfortable than our other original ones, and then instead of the hard cap we now have a soft one...
Page 109 - We always wondered why they were so particular about a 109 man's teeth in the army. Now I know. It's on account of these biscuits. The chief ingredient is, I think, cement, and they taste that way too. To break them it is necessary to use the handle of your entrenching tool or a stone. We have fried, baked, mashed, boiled, toasted, roasted, poached, hashed...
Page 129 - coal boxes," and finally they were christened "crumps" on account of the sound they make, a sort of cru-ump! noise as they explode.
Page 54 - cold meat ticket," a tag made of red fiber, is hanging round my neck on a piece of string.

Bibliographic information