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What Comes Around Goes Around |
| Written by Alison Giblin | |
| Friday, 21 March 2008 | |
Peter Cole couldn't get much lower, only death would help. No, not his death but Lieutenant Chapman's. Chapman pushed his men so hard. "Soldier clean your boots" "Soldier get that fuzz off your face or you're on a charge" these were the words that Private Peter Cole heard every day, never mind that they had not seen food for days, never mind that the trench was full of mud, never mind that 90% of his troop were dead and the list could go on.
Word was passed down the line that they were going over the top at dawn. Cole couldn't see the point, with so few men and being cut off from the main British contingent, they didn't stand a chance. For God's sake he hardly had a uniform on, boots falling off his feet, all rotting from being covered in wet mud.
Dawn was almost here just waiting for the whistle.
Peep! Cole's heart was beating so fast and hard, that he could feel his chest move but clamber up and over he did. Blind panic making him run forwards as fast as he could. Before he knew what had happened he was face down in the mud. Spitting mud out of his mouth he looked back to see he had tripped over a German body long dead and hardly recognisable in the mud. Grabbing the nearest weapon he brought it up to his shoulder, sight to his eye he saw the man running towards him. A squeeze on the trigger. Cole thought his troubles were over as he saw Chapman fall the bullet ripping through his chest.
He heard a German shout at him waving his arms to call him over. It was then that Cole realised he had picked up the dead German's gun and was being mistaken for one of them.
Cole just waved and moved over to the right, making his way to the woods and freedom he could see in the distance. Again the Germans shouted to him but Cole walked on not understanding German.
Suddenly there was a sound like a muffled car back firing and the Germans shook their heads in resignation. Yet another person had died through getting shell shock. Why else would someone walk into a mine field after being warned? Copyright 2008 Alison Giblin |
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