Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/109/1 - May 1918 - Part 8

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without /slightest doubt.  Every denial
If a man wants to deny it he simply says
"No" or "No, he did not".  The sergeants who
move there are every one of them strong men
who give whatever orders are given in / yard
w a downright voice which admits no hesitancy.
The officers who move in tt crowdxxxx xxx
with absolute confidence whenever they
come into / yard to the little xxx Coy
Orderly room w / xx news or / orders posted up outside

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of it.   A weak man, or an undetermined
man wd stand no chance at all of
having authority in tt crowd.  The officers are
/ sergeants of last year, and / sergeants are
officers in embryo; and / Corporals are budding
Sergeants - men who _^naturally move x w a little more
authority among these strong men than /
others do.
"Two up" is the main universal
pastime of the men.  xxx This is not a case

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of a few sharpers, a close set who start a
"school".   A few devotees, as soon as time hangs,
get together in the yard or / side street &
ask if anyone wants to "give it a go".  Someone
flings three pennies once or twice - a ring keeper
is chosen ; & then "two up" starts.   Pat -
the Irishman w face like a messtive & voice like a file
saunters up, in his grey shirt, x bare _^brown forearms
stuck into his breeches, looks over / group,
saunters round in a half circle & squats on /

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lowest rung of one o / ladders near by.  Every now
and then he makes a tour to look on - he never has
any money - & settles down on / ladder again.
"Lend us a franc, Jim", he says in chaff to a
friend up at who is climbing / ladder to / beehive.
"No bloody fear I won't."  says Jim.
"Ah, yer mean bastard", says the Irishman smiling
"Didn't I settle up for yer at Tel-el-Kebir?" says
Jim.
Over the chink of pennies on the stones
There comes a continual jargon from the ring.
"Give us a 'alf."
"A Couple on the head."

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"Four on the head - Heads four."
"Three heads.  Franc a head - there's another
on the head."
"Four heads on the side here."
"Spin her around here.  Franc wanted."
"Francx - One one & a 'alf.  Heads one!"
"Any on the side?"
"Heads ten - Heads forty - forty on the nut."
"We want forty.  We want thirty-five,  We want
twenty five.  Twenty five on he nut - fifteen on the
nut -  Look 'ere - given give 'em a go!"
I think the game, which had gone on
for a good hour, was flagging.  It is a game
which (for want of any other) starts in any quarter if

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an hour's interval or lasts a whole afternoon.  The
sideroad outside becomes every evening a perfect
country fair with groups playing these games
in it - a big crowd of 70 or 80 at the bottom o /
street, in / middle o / road ; a little in smaller
crowd of perhaps 20 on a doorstep further up;
& either one or two smaller groups playing
Crown & Anchor on a doorstep higher still.
We have to drive the car through them every
afternoon we go out - they are quite good
natured - & there are always notes, probly

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5 franc notes, on / ground, picked up hastily
to let / car pass.
The game is supposed to be illegal, I
think : but at any rate in this Coy they
wink at it.  The O.C. told me tt he lefts /
men get all / drink & x xxxx they want
on a period like this out o / line; &
I daresay he looks on "two up" / same
way.
The language in / yard is such tt you

b-

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wd think there ws going to be to be a knifing every
two minutes .  "Ah - you, you lazy bastard."
"Go to buggery - to hell wid yer."  "Would yer,
yer bastard!" - & you look out o / window &
find that it is all spoken with a grin.  The
most ferocious oaths are flung between
passing men & / utmost effect is tt they grab
one another in play, or make half a dozen
passes and dips (in perfect bayonet style) with
their bayonet-less rifles.  There is so much

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real fighting in this life now, that there is
next to no fighting among / men - at any
rate not in this infantry (& Gullett says / same
o / arty.)  Dyson tells me there was one
fight down / road / other day.  I have not
even heard a quarrel - nor a grumble that
I can remember.
Here are fragments o / conversation as
I have noted them:  "Four Days!  What do you want
to take four days for - when I go I take fourteen."
"I tell you he did!"
"Well -buzz off."

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____________
"Where's Dick?"
"Hallo."
"Will you ave a game of poker Dick?"
"No."
____________
Corporal Moore. Corporal Preston,. You're wanted
down here!  (They go to the Sergeants at
the Coy. orderly room-)
____________
(A draft has just arrived)  "They say they've
got 8 divisions" (clearly some Americans met
on the way over has sd so.)
Hey.  Quarter! (i.e. Quartermaster)
(A Sergeant shouts:)  Steel helmets to be worn on parade.