The company dinner on Christmas Day 1917 was eaten in a large barn at
Ribemont, on the Somme, and before this extra special feast began an
affable "old sweat," one Billy Williams, of London Town, volunteered
for the clearing-up party.
It was a long sitting and some considerable time before the men began
to wander back to their billets, and it fell to the most capable of the
orderlies to clear up the debris.
This had just been accomplished to the satisfaction of the orderly
officer when out of the barn strode old Billy carrying a dixie full of
beer. "Where are you going with that, Williams?" asked the officer.
Springing smartly to attention, and with a pained look upon his face,
old Billy replied: "This 'ere, sir? Sick man in the 'ut, sir!"--_R. E.
Shirley (late The London Regiment), 5 Staunton Road, Kingston, Surrey._