Most ex-soldiers will remember the dreary monotony of "going through
the motions" of every movement in rifle exercises.
We had just evacuated our position on the night of December 4-5, 1917,
at Cambrai, after the German counter-attack, and, after withstanding
several days' severe battering both by the enemy and the elements, were
staggering along, tired and frozen and hungry, and generally fed up.
When we were deemed to be sufficiently far from the danger zone the
order was given to allow the men to smoke. As practically everyone in
the battalion had been without cigarettes or tobacco for some days
the permission seemed to be wasted. But I passed the word down, "'C'
Company, the men may smoke," to be immediately taken up by a North
Londoner: "Yus, and if you ain't got no fags you can go through the
motions."--_H. H. Morris, M.C. (late Lieut., 16th Middlesex Regt.), 10
Herbert Street, Malden Road, N.W.5._