WHEN ARE WE GOING TO THE FRONT?
SERGEANT TAYLOR IS A STERN and firm fellow. He doesn’t joke around he just gets on with the job. He tells the men what to do and stands for no nonsense from anyone. It doesn’t mean he is aloof or arrogant, he thinks every man is important and to make a mistake at the Front can spell the end for the whole platoon. Tom stands in the line-up waiting for the sergeant to come around for inspection.
“Very nice” he says “you men have turned out to be fine soldiers. Just keep it up”
Then he moves his face close to Tom “Lane! I hear you’re playing in the concert tonight”
“Yes sir”
“Well, I hope your playing is as good as your soldierin’, I want to hear MUSIC”
“Oh it will be good sir”
The sergeant steps back “right, at ease!” he shouts “DISMISS!”
The soldiers walk off.
Frank walks with Tom “he’s got it in for you Tom”
“Nooo, he’ll just sit there entranced by the music” he turns his head to the soldier “you’ll see”
“Yes well, I’m looking forward to the concert tonight too”
The concert is going well, Tom plays the piano but can’t help noticing that Sergeant Taylor might not like it as the man rarely shows emotion, and the blighter is sitting on the front row! Still, the soldiers like the music, they cheer and clap and raise their glasses.
“More” they shout.
The end of the concert and the band stands up and bow. Tom steps off the low stage as the audience mingle and chat.
“Lane!” bellows Sergeant Taylor
“Sir” replies Tom
“Damn good show. You play that piano well”
“Thank you sir”
The sergeant turns to the other band members
“That was a good show men” he says.
The band is pleased.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Lane”
Sergeant Taylor walks off.
The next day, the sergeant shows them no mercy and pushes the platoon to the limit. He makes them do bayonet practice in the morning, then in the afternoon, it is physical exercise. The men are exhausted.
“Blimey!” says Frank panting as he runs “you’d have thought the concert last night would have calmed him down”
Tom turns to him “not Sergeant Taylor, he likes to see us suffer”
The sergeant bellows “no talking over there”
Tom hasn’t heard from his father for a while, it is the middle of August and he has been to several places around the country for training, but Fovant is his main base. He is getting worried; the last letter said that father was going over the top. Even mother hasn’t heard anything, he can do nothing but carry on with his training. For a few weeks, he has trained hard but still no word. Then one day on a fine sunny September morning, the local military postman gives Tom a letter, it looks like his mother’s writing. He tears it open, reads the letter and slumps onto his bed.
“What’s up Tom?” asks a fellow soldier
“It’s my father” he replies
“Well?”
“He’s back here in England”
“He’s alive though?”
“Yes, he’s in hospital, he’s been gassed”
Tom manages to get leave so that he can go and visit his father in hospital. He is sent to the Beaversbrook in Brondesbury, not far from where he lives. He walks into the room and sees his father there lying still.
“Father?”
Tom senior opens his eyes and coughs.
“Son. It’s nice to see you. You look good in your uniform” he coughs “it suits you well”
“What happened?”
“Damn Boche, sprayed the area full of gas”
Father coughs again
“We didn’t stand a chance. The whole platoon came down”
Tom takes his father’s hand for a moment
“Take it easy father”
“Well, it looks like you were right, Tom” wheezes Tom senior
“No no no, nobody could have seen this. You were right. You did your bit for the country and I’m proud of you”
Father pushes himself up a little
“Open that drawer son” he says gasping for air
Tom does, inside are his father’s personal effects
“Take out the watch”
He pulls the end of the chain and eventually a pocket watch comes out dangling. He makes a motion to give the watch to his father
“No, it’s yours, you have it” he wheezes.
“But father, this is the watch grandfather gave you”
Tom senior sits up a little and becomes slightly sterner “and it’s now yours”
He slumps back on the pillow “just think of it as a family heirloom, alright?”
“Yes father, I’ll look after it”
“Now, if I could have a little peace before your mother arrives. She can be such hard work”
“Yes father, get well soon. I have to go back to Fovant to continue my training”
The old man wheezes and lifts up a hand in farewell.
Tom gets up and walks to the door but before he opens it, he turns and says “see you later father”
He closes the door, slumps against the wall and closes his eyes. Down the corridor comes a ‘clump-clump’ of shoes on the hard flooring. Tom opens his eyes and looks down towards the source of the noise; it is his mother with Liz and Ada. Liz speaks first “Tom, what’s up?”
“I hope I never get gassed” is all Tom can say. He walks a few steps then turns to face the three women.