A nurse who spoke a little English translated his song to the
French soldiers! Whilst not desiring to criticise the rendez-vous
selected by their "camerade anglais," they did not consider that
"pres d'un vieux taureau" (near an old bull) was a safe or desirable
meeting-place. When I explained to the nurse that "The Bull and Bush"
was a kind of cabaret she hastened from ward to ward to tell the
men that after all the Englishman might have selected a worse
spot to entertain his girl. He was at once the joy and the despair
of the whole hospital and the nurse had much trouble in consoling
the patients when "our English" was removed.




Abbreviated French



When Tommy indulges in the use of the French language he
abbreviates it as much as possible.

One hot summer's day driving from Boulogne to Fort Mahon, half
way down a steep hill we came upon two Tommies endeavouring
to extract a motor cycle and a side-car from a somewhat difficult
position. They had side-slipped and run into a small tree. The cycle
was on one side and the side-car on the other, and a steel rod
between had been rammed right into the wood through the force
of the collision.

My three companions and myself endeavoured to help the men to