Boredom - the soldier’s lot

On campaign in the Sudan from the Daily Graphic

In From the Frontline of History we read of Teddy Campion’s experiences in the great set piece battles of Omdurman and Atbara, as well as skirmishing in the Boer War and trench warfare in WWI. These moments of high drama and adrenalin are naturally few and far between. But Teddy is also an amusing documenter of the boredom that made up so much of the soldier’s lot. Here Teddy colourfully describes the passage of a day in his Sudan diary:

Get up, hastily swallow a cup of cocoa, light a cigarette and find 50 bearded looking ruffians at the quarter guard. We get tools and commence to fill up a huge hole - why, no one quite knows, or cares – but you must not leave the men alone and on no account are they to be allowed to wash. So you keep them at it till time for breakfast.

One goes back for a bath – breakfast porridge and a lump of heart – (sometimes varied with a weird and wonderful looking kidney – but usually we have a fair breakfast). Then orderly room. Return at about 10 a.m. Work for the day finished.

Everything is getting hot. Order ginger ale – drink it, have another. It all comes out and trickles down your forehead. Go to your house?? Or dog–hole – gasp – look at thermometer: 104 degrees. Have another ginger ale on strength of it. Write diary, begin letter, hand all wet from perspiration smudges it. Lie down – perspire fearfully – swear at the flies. Try and kill one, very exhausting – have another ginger ale. 12 O’clock go to sleep – wake up 1 p.m. Lunch – everyone rather slack – read paper – long for 4 p.m. Have a small gin and ginger ale – tea. It begins to get cooler.

Get a rifle, trudge off into the desert and shoot at a gazelle – this is great fun. Return 6 p.m. very hot and thirsty. Have a small gin and Bradford. Visitors come round. Everyone bucks and talks; this is a most enjoyable time of day.

Change for dinner – have an excellent dinner – everyone cheery and fit. Drink a bottle of Pilsner and begin to feel life is worth living – go to bed 10 p.m.

You can read more about Sudan and Teddy’s other experiences in Crete, the Boer War, India and WWI in From the Frontline of History, Teddy Campion at War with the Seaforth Highlanders, 1895 – 1916 available from Amazon.