I was in a Lewis gun section, and our sergeant got on our nerves while
we were learning the gun by always drumming in our ears about the
different stoppages of the gun when in action. My mate, Ginger Bryant,
who lived at Stepney, could never remember the stops, and our sergeant
was always rousing poor old Ginger.
Well, we found ourselves one day in the front line and Jerry had
started an attack. Ginger was No. 1 on the gun and I was lying beside
him as No. 2. We were giving Jerry beans with our gun when a bomb hit
it direct and blew Ginger and myself yards away.
Ginger had his hand blown off, but crawled back to the gun, which was
smashed to pieces. He gave one look at it and shouted to me: "Nah go
and ask that blinkin' sergeant what number stoppage he calls this one!"
Next thing he fainted.--_Edward Newson (late 1st West Surrey), 61
Moneyer Street, Hoxton, N.1._