“Tubby” Clayton was a short thirty-year-old vicar in the Anglican Church. The pastor had arrived in Belgium in November 1915 and was assigned to serve as the military chaplain to the British 16th Infantry Brigade. The previous chaplain for the 16th Brigade had been killed the month before.
When Reverend Clayton visited Poperinge, he observed that aside from cafés, drinking spots, and houses of prostitution, soldiers had no places to go in the town. Clayton wanted to establish a place for soldiers to gather that was removed from the debauchery that characterised many of the other places that Allied soldiers frequented. This was the place being recommended by the Tommy.
‘Sounds pleasant, but we were hoping for a bit of slap and tickle if you know what I mean,’ said Sam.
‘Oh, I see, then I recommend the best bawdy house in Pops “Maison de Plaisir”.’
‘Now, that sounds what we’re looking for. How much do they charge?’
‘That depends on how much time you want. Half an hour will set you back two and a half francs. It’s five francs for an hour.’
‘Bloody hell, it’s not cheap, is it? Still, we’ve all got plenty of money so that should be okay.’
‘Yeah, with what they pay you bastards, it shouldn’t be a problem.’
‘You should ask Haig for a pay rise.’
‘Yeah, sure.’
The three diggers followed their newfound friend’s instructions and found “Maison de Plaisir” two streets away.
George, being the leader, knocked on the brightly coloured door. A rather plump middle-aged woman let them in. Her name was Madam Fifi.
‘Madam, we would like to avail ourselves of one of your girls,’ explained George.
‘You just want one? It can be arranged.’
‘No, I am sorry… you misunderstand me, I meant a girl each.’
‘Oh, of course, how long would you like?’
‘I think one hour. Is that okay?’
‘Of course. That will be five francs each.’
The three virgins paid their hard earned money over to Madam Fifi; the madam led them into the waiting area. The stairs leading up to the fourth storey were crammed with soldiers, mainly Australians.
‘For fuck’s sake, there must be half the First Division waiting a turn,’ George remarked.
‘Make that the whole First Division!’ Sam exclaimed.
The boys waited their turn and the wait was worth it. After an hour of lovemaking, they met out in the street.
‘How good was that, fellas?’
‘Good enough to want to go back tomorrow night,’ laughed Albert.
They all agreed and returned to “Maison de Plaisir” for the following three nights. They also visited Talbot House in the early evening for some quiet time and a game of Gin Rummy.
It was during one of these visits to Talbot House that they discovered from a notice stuck to a wall that the Australian Government was introducing a scheme for returning soldiers.
The Third Battle of Wipers
Chapter 6
November 1916
The 1st Division had been informed by High Command that they would be rested in Ypres for the winter months. This suited George, Sam, and Albert, as they enjoyed their regular visits to Poperinge and all the delights the town offered. This sojourn was not as long as they had hoped for.
The rain was heavy and persistent, and the battlefield was a wet muddy quagmire.
The British had been searching for a solution to penetrate the German trenches without sacrificing thousands of soldiers in the hope some would make it through. The casualty rates were extremely high, which was becoming very unpopular on the home front.
A new weapon was needed to break the stalemate.
In 1912, an Australian, Lance De Mole, submitted a proposal to the British War Office for a “chain-rail vehicle which could be easily steered and carry heavy loads over rough ground and trenches.” Two years later, a tank, designed and named by Swinton, was adopted by the British. The design was very similar to De Mole’s.
In 1914, Lieutenant-Colonel Ernest Swinton, proposed the development of a new type of fighting vehicle. The armoured vehicles being used by both sides were ineffective against the enemies’ trench network. Caterpillar tracked vehicles were already in France, as the British used them as heavy gun tractors, and this was the type of propulsion recommended.
Swinton had received some support from those in authority, but many in the army’s General Staff were deeply suspicious. Swinton needed a prototype of the machine, which would alter warfare on the Western Front. By June 9th, 1915, an agreement was made regarding what the new weapon should be. It should:
Have a top speed of 4 mph on flat land
The ability to turn sharply at top speed
The ability to climb a 5-foot parapet
The ability to cross an eight foot gap
A working radius of 20 miles
A crew of ten men with two machine guns on board and one light artillery gun.
One supporter of the prospective new weapon was Winston Churchill, who called the vehicle Land Battleship.
The
