Headstones from Martinpuich Cemetery, Martinpuich, France: for J. Reid of the Royal Field Artillery, died October 6, 1916, and R.E. Bullows of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment, died November 11, 1916. Martinpuich was in the Somme sector. © 2013 John M. Shea

54766 Driver

J. Reid

Royal Field Artillery

6th October 1916



Known to be Buried in this Cemetery

3009 Lance Cpl.

R.E. Bullows

Royal Warwickshire Rgmt.

11th November 1916 Age 22

Greater love hath no man than this

Other views: Front, Detail

Thursday, March 14, 1918

"After lunch his sergeant confronted [the Trench Mortar Officer] with a pile of army forms.

'There is one form here, sir, that asks how many English, French, Russian, Belgian and Italians there are in the battery.'

'What about Germans?'

'They are not officially on the strength, sir.'

'Well,' concluded the TMO with dignity, 'please inform the Staff captain that this is a battery, and not a foreign opera company.'

The sergeant placed the pile of forms on the table. 'Those must be filled in by 4 o'clock, sir.' An ominous silence. 'Hand me the whiskey' commanded the officer in funereal tones. 'Do not disturb me till 4 o'clock. If by that time I have not mastered these forms, you will find my body hanging from the roof.'

'The roof is not too strong, sir.'"

Quotation Context

Excerpt from 'The Trench Mortar Officer' (TMO) by Adrian Consett Stephen, an Australian serving in the Royal Field Artillery, killed in action on March 14, 1918 at Zillebeke near Ypres, Belgium. 'The Trench Mortar Officer' was one of many pieces that Stephen wrote for the Sydney Morning Herald.

Source

The Lost Voices of World War I, An International Anthology of Writers, Poets and Playwrights by Tim Cross, page 26, copyright © 1989 by The University of Iowa, publisher: University of Iowa Press, publication date: 1989

Tags

1918-03-14, 1918, March, Trench Mortar Officer, Royal Field Artillery