“Pulling Ben’s leg”
Ben Tillett, the hero of Tower Hill, has been having a truly great time in France. He has actually lunched with Sir John French and conversed with a high authority—a general— regarding the way in which the operations must be carried out. One does not like to tell, without blushing, how the latter “gassed” the idol of Dockland, so perhaps it would be better and in the correct sequence of things to let “old Ben” tell it himself. He says (“Daily Express,” 17.6.1915): ‘”Do you see what I mean?’ this general went on; ‘you mast take home this simple picture of what we’ve got to do. We have to go on firing high explosives till there’s nothing living left in front of us. Then the men go forward and fight, and clear up details, and the guns are dragged up and we begin all over again.‘ ”
(Ben loses consciousness, while the General falls on his sword and dies—-a-laugbing.)
B. B. B.