The troops were exhausted. Supplies were low and the British soldiers were up against the well-equipped Germans. When the thunderous din of gunfire quietened briefly, Captain Briggs gathered his men around him to ask for a volunteer. The task would be incredibly dangerous, but every man offered to go.
“Harrison. Why should I choose you?” queried Captain Briggs.
“I’d rather go out in a blaze of glory than rot in these rat-infested mud-holes,” replied Harrison.
There was a murmur of agreement from the others.
“And Atkins. Why do you want to go?”
The corporal’s staunch reply brought murmurs of approval. “I’m willing to die like an Englishman, faithful to flag and country and her traditions.”
“I could probably stand here all afternoon asking each of you, and get similar replies,” said Captain Briggs. A bullet whistled overhead. He ducked instinctively. “Let me rephrase that. I guess I could crouch here all day asking each of you… Hahaha. Bloody Hun! They’ve got us pinned down.
"I’m proud of you, men. You’ve all fought long and hard. Atkins, it will be you who goes. You can do the mission and be a hero to us all. You’ll leave at midnight. With Godspeed and good luck, you’ll be back with us by breakfast.
"Our horses and donkeys are all dead, and the supply trucks have been blown to smithereens. We need to be fortified. Collect as many boxes as you can from the depot near Arras.”
At midnight, Captain Briggs shook Atkins’s hand. “Good luck, young Tommy.”
Tommy’s perilous journey began. He crawled over the parapet and disappeared. Tangled barbed wire and muddy, ice-encrusted ridges slowed his progress. Occasionally he came face-to-face with rotting corpses while crawling. Once he had to shelter against a dead horse when he came too close to a German patrol.
Eventually, English soldiers at the supply depot were shocked when he uttered the password and emerged from the darkness. Tommy rapidly gathered up the provisions, stowing boxes in his rucksack.
Aware of how much his fellow soldiers were depending on him, he hastened back to his trench, nerves alert. The waiting was awful for his mates as well. Random gunshots made them glance worriedly at each other.
Then they heard it; the password phrase came softly: “Put the kettle on.” Tommy was back with the tea boxes! At last they could have fortifying mugs of hot tea again.
| Writing Prompt |
~READ ALL RULES ~
A fictional war story of 350 minimum words with 400 words maximum.
No writing about the war effort back home such as, but not limited to, victory gardens, women in the work force, or rationing of goods. Words may be included about returning home, such as for treatment/funerals, etc.
No 'Dear John' letter to or from anyone.
No vulgar or sexual terms
1 picture with no music, animation / black font
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~ War Story ~
Contest Winner
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Author Notes
Author Notes:
(The photograph is from the collection of the Imperial War Museum, London.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Atkins
The following information is taken directly from the above website:
Tommy Atkins (often just Tommy) is slang for a common soldier in the British Army. It was certainly well established during the nineteenth century, but is particularly associated with the First World War. It can be used as a term of reference, or as a form of address. German soldiers would call out to 'Tommy' across no man's land if they wished to speak to a British soldier. French and Commonwealth troops would also call British soldiers 'Tommies'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Arras_(1917)
The following information is taken directly from the above website:
From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British troops attacked German defences near the French city of Arras on the Western Front. The British achieved the longest advance since trench warfare had begun, surpassing the record set by the French Sixth Army on 1 July 1916.
[Author: I guess this happened after they'd had their mugs of tea.]
https://sjmc.gov.au/tea-coffee-cocoa/
The following information is taken directly from the above website:
Small advantages can make a big difference in war. The supply of hot drinks - tea, coffee and cocoa - was crucial in maintaining soldiers' health and morale on the Western Front.
After the war, reflecting on the Allied victory, some authors cited the restorative effects of tea as part of a winning strategy.
In 1921, British neurologist M. Allen Starr noted: 'During the [First World] war the English troops were freely supplied with tea and carried it instead of water in their canteens'.
The British Army's Surgeon-General Annesley de Renzy wrote: 'All I can say is that on a long march, and where troops are exposed to great hardships, a cup of Assam tea is one of the most sustaining and invigorating beverages a soldier could have'.
More recently, authors Ian and Iris MacFarlane have suggested tea was both stimulating and relaxing:
'The caffeine stimulates and relaxes both the mind and body, adds to the confidence of the drinker, and so makes him more efficient as a fighter. The caffeine also combats stress and injury; hence the immediate response of most British people after any accident is to offer or drink a hot cup of sweet tea'.
While the British and tea were almost synonymous, Americans had other cultural traditions stemming from the Boston Tea Party (1773) when it became 'patriotic' to switch to coffee.
United States troops arriving in Europe [in WW1] were issued with large amounts of coffee to 'restore courage and strength' and 'keep up morale'.
The United States even set up its own roasting and grinding plants in France to ensure supply.
Then it began issuing a new type of coffee: instant. The soluble coffee powder had been marketed to American consumers from 1910 for its convenience and digestibility, and for men on the frontline it was packaged in single-serve sachets.
One of the first major brands was George Washington (no relation to the first President), giving rise to the popular request for 'a cup of George'.
Americans also enjoyed hot cocoa, which was supplied by the Young Men's Christian Association.
The YMCA sent 25,000 volunteers to the war, providing refreshments from comfort huts and canteens close to battlefields.
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