FUN AND FROLIC AT THE FRONT.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 274, 11 May 1917, Page 3 (Supplement)

FUN AND FROLIC AT THE FRONT.

STAR TURNS BY THE MEN OF THE TRENCHES.

By H. SMALLEY SARSON

Ono evening during the early summer of 1915, when the whole western front was quiet, a Canadian battalion was resting at a divisional rest station behind the Ploegsteert lines. The long evenings hung heavily on tho men's hands, so to gain a little enjoyment half a dozen of them formed a concert party. A pianist was " borrowed" from a neighbouring battery and a piano commandeered from a shell-scarred village, and in a natural amphitheatre of meadow grass, with a bonfire in the middle and crudely built platform at ono end, the concert took place, with astonishing success.

This was tho germ from which sprang tho Canadian Divisional Concert Party, for others quickly followed the first effort until Sergeant G. I. Rice, the accommodating pianist, was in nightly demand whenever a battalion was resting. Pipers from the Scottish and bands from other units gave appropriate and popular music, and songs were sung by the men with a fullness of voice rarely equalled by male choirs. Then tho Y.M.C.A. camo along and erected a large marquee, and through the courtesy of the officer in charge, tho late Captain H. Whiteman, tho entertainment was placed on a moro systematic footing. The marquee became a Hippodrome on active service and tho rendezvous of 6omo thousands of men nightly.

GOOD BEGINNING

With the arrival of the 2nd Canadian Division in France and the enlargement of the contingent to a corps, the A.Q. M.G., realising the great possibilities of entertainment work, appointed a committee of management. They opened a theatre in Bailleul with an entertainment party of four men as ,1 nucleus,, and the minstrels from the 3rd Field Ambulance to help, while Sergeant Rice was transferred from the battery pianist, stage director, "star turn", and a few other things. They began with a series of three concerts in aid of the British prisoners of war in Germany, and the financial results enabled a handsome sum to be turned over to the Red Cross by LieutGeneral Alderson.

Tho Minstrel Troupe then turned their attention to covering a wider area, and when it was impossible for nits to visit them at the Bailleul Theatre, where free performances were given in the afternoons, a good old London motor-omnibus was provided to convey the party to out-lying stations. Tho men straight from the trenche?, covered in mud and nerve-«tained from tho terrific trials of warfare, were highly appreciative. They needed some such medicine, and the laugh cure did the work. Ono night in particular is worth remembering. The hut where the concert was given was close to the firing-line, and suddenly during the programme there was a gas alarm. Not to be beaten out of their amusement, however, tho battalion officers quickly ordered the men to their billets to get their gas helmets and to return to the concert bringing extra helmets for the troupe. This they did in the shortest possible time, and the performers proceeded with the show, nobody worrying much about Fritz' gas tricks. WRECKED BY SHRAPNEL. A second party, headed by Captain W. R. Critchley, had many similar experiences, but always their wits solved the situation. On one occasion the piano was wrecked by shrapnel, while being taken to the "concert hall," yet 'n spite of these difficulties, when the spring of 1916 came along 100 concerts bad been given, every unit in the whole Canadian corps having been visited at some time or other, and the number of men entertained amounting to over 70,000. It was at on© of these concerts that the first tank, the grandmother of all tanks, first made its appearance. The "corner men" were in need of some fresh "business," so with sticks and canvas they contrived a gruesome super-armoured car, turreted and bristling with guns. It was to be pushed on the stage from the wings, and a Taubo was to be sighted for Bones to train the gun at. Then a shell would bo fired (on a length of stretched wire), to be followed by a report and cheers, and a cuo for the property man to throw out a live bam-door fowl. Then, with a violent explosion, tho tank was to blow up, leaving the four "corner men" seated on the floor.

At rehearsals it was stupendous, but tho first night it was used everything went wrong. To start with, the telephono bell by wlich Bones gave his orders to the " crew" refused to work, the wire to carry the "high explosive" broke, and the "shell" fell with a mild thud on the orchestra leader's head. This so excited the property man that lne let go the fowl, which, with a squawk of delight at its regained freedom, flew into the "reserved for officers" seats, cackling as though it had laid a dozen eggs. Still," I think tho act as a failuro was even funn'er tlian as a success.

PATTER

The greatest difficulty was in tho matter of appropriate gags and patter, for the jokes had to be topical and olive. I remember orvo that was used during the discussions as to whether wo were to have tho Canadian Ross Rifle o r the Lee-Enfield, tho Ross l»ing anything but popular with the men. Tarn bo (to the Interlocutor): "Did you hear, sar, dat Messrs. Tickler's, purveyors of preserves to the Government, hab bought up all the Ross rifles?" Interlocutor: "Why, no, Tambo, I hadn't. What's the idea?" Tambo: "Well, they just puts a little sand in 'em and makes 'em all jam." Officers sometimes had to take a little radlery. At one concert the artistdescribed how ho had been picked out to train a fresh squad of recruits, and after he had Keen at it for some time tho general came round one morning. " How are your men getting on, vcrgeant?" "Very well, sir, except for one man, sir." "What's the matter with him- -is he slow? (an ho shoulder arms yet?" "No, sir." "Can "no form fours?" "No, sir." "Can hj« keep step!'" "No. sir." "Oh well, we'll give him a. commission!"