This is War [ONC 2021] // Honourable Mention

Chapter Thirteen - Daniel

He scrambled off the back of the wagon with everyone else, hauling his kitbag over his shoulder and moving through the mass of soldiers until he spotted George's red hair poking out from under his hat. The two of them moved through the crowd of soldiers and followed the orders their Captain gave them. They joined the rest of the Battalion and started to follow those at the front through a field and down a small ramp.

Daniel watched the walls get taller the further down the wooden ramp they moved until they towered above their heads. Mud had been piled high around them and wooden beams had been laid out on the floor to protect them from the mud. Beams had been placed against the walls to stop them from falling in and the very top of the mud walls had sandbags placed on top of them. Despite the height of the walls, most men ducked their heads when they walked.

"Keep your head down at all times unless you want a hole through your skull. Keep your equipment and your dugouts clean! If your rifle doesn't fire, you and the men around you are dead so it is your responsibility to ensure that doesn't happen! Keep your eyes and ears out for enemy fire and remember to keep noise and light down at night! Do I make myself clear?" Captain Brooks yelled.

"Yes, Sir!"

"Fallout and find your dugouts!"

"Come on, I don't want to be stuck next to someone who snores," George said.

"You snore."

George grabbed onto his kitbag and dragged him through the trench, the two of them following Tommy, Arthur and Henry through the twisting walkways. Many of the men had already found dugouts and were in the process of sorting through their kitbag and checking the photographs that they had tucked into their uniform pockets. They passed by men who slept propped up against the wall of the trench, passed those with a cigarette held between shaking fingers. Some just looked exhausted and the war had only been going on for two months.

The group found an empty dugout in one of the walls of the trench with enough space for the five of them. There were bed-like structures inside with thin mattresses and blankets, but it seemed better than sleeping out in the open with the constant sound of gunfire and shells. Even as they settled into the dugout, they could hear the occasional burst of gunfire and the sound of a shell being fired a little further down the line.

Daniel reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the family photograph he had taken from home just before he left two months ago. It had been taken the year before, a gift for his mother's birthday, and one of the few photographs of the family together.

Mrs Morris sat in the centre of the photograph, her hair pinned up and the trace of a slight smile on her lips. Beside her stood Ruth who, Daniel remembered, had spent the entire time fidgeting and complained about being shut indoors all morning so her hair wouldn't end up looking like a bird's nest. Daniel stood behind Ruth with his hand resting lightly on her shoulder, his dark hair combed to the side and wearing a really itchy suit. Mr Morris was beside him, the two men looking almost identical to one another. Even on mainland Europe, he had his family with him.

A loud whistle cut through Daniel's thoughts and he turned to the hole in the wall that acted as their door. There, stood Phillip, partially leaning through the gap and looking at them all.

"Captain Brooks wants to gather the Battalion, looks like we're being sent in," he said.

"Excellent." George rubbed his hands together. "A taste of the action and it's our first day here."

"If I kill more Huns than you, Arthur, do I get the money back you stole in cards?" Tommy asked, putting his helmet on and swinging his rifle onto his shoulder.

"We'll see." 

Tommy laughed.

Daniel put the photograph back in his pocket and grabbed his rifle and helmet from his bed. He jammed his helmet onto his head and swung his rifle so it sat over his right shoulder before following the group out of the dugout and into the main trench. Men from their Battalion moved through the trenches and they followed the crowd deeper into the trench until they found Captain Brooks and the rest of the men they had trained with.

There was an anxious yet slightly excited buzz that encased the men, many of whom stood on their tiptoes and tried to get a better view of the Captain. Daniel stood towards the back of the group and fidgeted with his rifle, tugging it and readjusting his grip on the strap. Even after all that training, he didn't feel ready to go into battle with his rifle primed and ready to fire at whoever he came across or whoever fired at him. The other men appeared excited at the thought of killing someone they believed to be the enemy, but Daniel wasn't so sure.

"Right, we have been asked to launch an offensive against the Germans who are dug in just across the ways from us. Another unit will put down covering fire and we will be moving under the cover of smoke after an artillery bombardment. We intend to push the Germans back as far as we can and regain some of the ground around Ypres. Our intelligence suggests that they will be trying to break through our line so it is imperative that you stand firm and trust the man beside you to have your back, as you do his. You have trained for this and I expect a clean, quick victory."

Just as Captain Brooks had finished speaking, a barrage of artillery unloaded onto the other trench. Daniel could see the plumes of smoke and the dirt being flung up by the motors as they hit the ground. A thick layer of smoke gathered across the battlefield and every man in the group held his breath in anticipation of the call that would quickly follow. The smoke reminded Daniel of the run they had gone on in the early mornings, but the silence he had heard on that day had been broken by gunfire and mortar rounds.

"I wish you luck, men and I hope to see you all soon," Captain Brooks said. He put his whistle between his teeth and blew.

Daniel swung his rifle over his shoulder and followed the men out of the trench.

~~~

First Published - February 23rd, 2021