MUD, BLOOD, AND RUM A Year in the Trenches with the 42nd Battalion
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A fictional account of one year in the lives of three brothers fighting in World War I as they cope with mud that sucks down men, horses, and equipment; lice; rats that will eat everything in sight, living or not; bone-chilling cold; life-threatening injuries; and, of course, the Germans.
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The year is 1917. We are sharing a trench in Vimy, France, with Private George Shepperd. Mud, barbed wire, and devastation lie beyond the parapet, and the air is split by the screams and thuds of artillery. It is just an ordinary day in the First World War.
George and his two brothers, Jimmy and Billy, are in this together. Billy is a stretcher bearer, so they don't see him too often. Sometimes they can get together for a visit, a smoke, and perhaps to share parcels and letters from home. The daily rum ration is a real lifesaver in this horrific mess.
Brian Pascas takes us through one year in the lives of these three men as they cope with mud that sucks down men, horses, and equipment; lice; rats that will eat everything in sight, living or not; bone-chilling cold; life-threatening injuries; oh, and of course, the Germans.
This is a tale worth telling, and one worth reading, especially for those of us who are too young to appreciate the sacrifices made in the past for our present freedom.
About the Author
Brian Pascas, a professional engineer, and his wife, Mary, live in Kanata, Ontario, where they have raised three children: Sharon, Rachel, and Tim. On weekdays, Brian works in a high-tech field. Evenings, weekends, and vacations are devoted to Great War endeavours. He has been an avid student of the Great War for over eighteen years, helping to keep second-hand book dealers solvent. During the 1990s, he considered it an honour and a privilege to interview several veterans from the 1914-18 war. Brian is a member of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum and the Western Front Association.
