This mess is stirred up in a tin and allowed to simmer over the flames
from the cooker until Tommy decides that it has reached a sufficient
(glue-like) consistency. He takes his bayonet and by means of the
handle carries the mess up in the front trench to cool. After it has
cooled off he tries to eat it. Generally one or two Tommies in a
section have cast-iron stomachs and the tin is soon emptied. Once I
tasted trench pudding, but only once.

In addition to the regular ration issue Tommy uses another channel to
enlarge his menu.

In the English papers a "Lonely Soldier" column is run. This is for
the soldiers at the front who are supposed to be without friends or
relatives. They write to the papers and their names are published.
Girls and women in England answer them, and send out parcels of
foodstuffs, cigarettes, candy, etc. I have known a "lonely" soldier to
receive as many as five parcels and eleven letters in one week.




CHAPTER VIII

THE LITTLE WOODEN CROSS

After remaining in rest billets for eight days, we received the
unwelcome tidings that the next morning we would "go in" to "take
over." At six in the morning our march started and, after a long march
down the dusty road, we again arrived at reserve billets.