Stuart Minor > Quotes

“They won't mind takin' you in as well, they'll spoil you rotten they will, Christ but a young boy like you? You'll be that mothered to death you'll be glad to leave.”
― Stuart Minor, The Redoubt

“Moan, moan, bloody moan,”
― Stuart Minor, The Redoubt

“You won’t be moaning about it when Fritz sends a few over, you’ll be trying to climb inside it then,’ the older man replied. ‘I’d rather climb inside…”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“Bloody show offs,’ Reg commented, as the three men pulled ahead, their arms swinging energetically by their sides. ‘Come on, we can’t let the new lads see that we’re struggling,’ Jack said, as two more soldiers pushed in front of him. ‘Who bloody can’t?’ Reg grumbled. Jack glanced to his right and saw the company’s captain motioning the men forward, his lean frame wrapped in an oversized Battledress tunic. ‘There will be passes tonight for the first platoon to the top,’ the captain shouted. ‘Oh, Christ, come on you lot,’ Reg yelled, before leaping forward with a burst of speed, his arms pushing past the young soldiers who stared after him with expressions of amazement on their faces. Jack forced himself forward, his lungs burning within his chest as he ran to the front of the section, before drawing level with Reg who was staring at the crest of the hill with a burning look of concentration on his sweat glazed face.”
― Stuart Minor, The Sixth Day in June

“Alright Fritz, yow can come with me,’ Fred said, before leading the German prisoner across the field, the man smiling with gratitude. Jack moved to one side as Reg slipped into the trench. ‘What a bastard,’ Reg said, his voice fuming as he stared to where Kelly was walking towards the trees. ‘You should have taken your shooting iron with you.’ ‘I forgot, besides, Jerry’s supposed to be miles away, I didn’t think I’d need it,’ Reg said, before wiping the sweat from his brow. ‘How’d I know that bastard was lurking in the bush. God, but I’d just squatted down when this face appeared beneath me. I nearly died there and then.’ Jack choked back his laughter. ‘He’s lucky he didn’t poke his head out a second later,’ Jack replied. Reg cursed, before breaking into a laugh. ‘Fuck me, but I’ll never go for a shit on my own again.”
― Stuart Minor, Breaking Point

“Stretching is good for the circulation,' Henry replied. ‘Circle what?”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“That sodding Sandwich Commando only gave me half a mug of char,' Reg grumbled, as he plonked himself down beside Jack and started eating. 'I ask you, what's this world coming to when a man who is about to risk life and limb for King and Country can't even get a decent brew?' 'You shouldn't get yourself so worked up, it's bad for your health,' Donald said, as he sat eating his stew. 'Bad for my health?' Reg exclaimed, a look of wonder on his face as he stared at Donald. 'I'll tell you what's bad for your health: Germans.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“How’s the bonce, Donald?’ Fred asked, as the blonde haired corporal drew near. ‘Sore,’ Donald replied, his face reproachful as he touched a large red lump on his forehead. ‘That’ll teach yow for not wearing your tin hat,’ Fred said. ‘I didn’t expect you to fall into my slit trench,’ Donald replied, his voice like ice. ‘It was dark,’ Fred said, with a shrug. ‘I thought a shell had landed on top of me,’ Donald muttered. ‘Quit your moaning,”
― Stuart Minor, Breaking Point

“Good luck.’ ‘Aye, you too, God knows we’ll need it.’ ‘We should ask Henry to put a good word in for us,’ Jack replied, trying to sound at ease as the last minutes passed slowly by, the men growing agitated as they lay waiting, the air heavy and oppressive with pent up nerves.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“You never used to swear in front of me, not before you went off into the army,' Wendy said, placing an old copper kettle on top of the hob. 'Blame Hitler,' Jack replied with a grin.”
― Stuart Minor, Battleaxe

“Corporal?’ Jack turned as Ham grabbed him by the shoulder. ‘What is it?’ Jack asked, as he turned to face the large soldier. ‘Is the tin meant to look like that?’ Ham asked, before pointing to the self heating soup, the sides bulging as it shook violently on the ground. ‘Jesus Christ, you’re supposed to put a hole in it,’ Jack said, before reaching for the tin, the metal hot between his fingers. He lifted it up as bubbles started to spit from the seams, a thin whistling noise filling his ears before it burst in his hands, sending a shower of hot tomato soup spilling over his uniform. ‘Yow are supposed to eat it, not wear it,’ Fred said, as the men broke into laughter. ‘For fuck’s sake,’ Jack cursed, as he wiped the soup off his body. ‘What am I going to eat now?’ Ham asked. Jack turned to the large soldier and wagged his finger at him, his mouth opening to speak, when he saw Shorthouse approaching. ‘What’s happened to you?’ The sergeant major asked, as he looked at Jack’s stained clothes. ‘He got in a fight with a can of soup,’ Fred replied. ‘Nasty things those,”
― Stuart Minor, The Sixth Day in June

“Jack stared straight ahead as he moved towards the gate, his eyes glancing at the military policeman as he looked with a questioning gaze at the bundled up clothes. ‘See, as easy as that,’ Fred said, as they stepped away from the entrance. ‘You men, halt right there.’ Jack turned and saw the policeman waving towards them. ‘Keep walking,’ Fred said. ‘I said halt.’ ‘Pretend yow can’t hear him.’ ‘Stop those men.’ Through the corner of his eye Jack saw the policeman pointing towards them. ‘Run,’ Fred yelled. Jack”
― Stuart Minor, Hitler's Winter

“If yow are going to ask me to swim the thing, I'd like to know how deep it is, I don't like swimming.' 'Is that why you never have a wash?' 'Who asked yow to chime in, Taffy?' 'We ought to throw a bar of soap in when we go over, it might be the only chance we get,' Ed said.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“strip your clothes”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“I'd rather stay here,' Ed replied, staring at a young farm girl who was looking out from behind a building at the soldiers. 'She'd run a mile if you went near her,' Williams said. 'That's alright, I'm used to running,' Ed replied.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“It's only the truth,' Ed said, yawning loudly, and looking over to where a party of eight men were sat together in the ditch, their youthful faces staring at Ed with concern. 'They should have sent their mothers out to us instead, at least I could find a use for them.' 'Good”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“Blimey,’ Reg whispered. ‘I thought Fred was slow witted.’ ‘So you hurt yourself falling into the water?' Donald asked. ‘No, the fall didn’t hurt that much.’ ‘Then why were you in hospital for six months?’ ‘Because of the boat,’ Ham said, his voice patient as he smiled inanely at Donald. ‘What did the boat do to you?’ ‘It was leaking oil and I must have swallowed some, it made me sick as a dog it did, then when I was feeling better I went and tripped down the hospital stairs and had to have my head sewn up.’ Ham said, his voice cheerful as he showed a bare patch of skin that ran the length of his shaved head. 'After that there was the court-martial to sort out.' 'Court martial?' Donald asked, his voice exasperated. 'Yeah, for some reason they thought I was hurting myself on purpose.' ‘And now he’s your responsibility,’ Reg whispered to Jack. ‘Oh, God.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“Ham raised his hand. 'What is it?' 'I don't understand.' 'What don't yow understand?' Fred asked, his voice impatient. 'You need me to help you get over the wall?' 'Well I can't bloody sprout wings and fly over, can I?' 'How are you going to get back out again?' Ham asked, as he scratched his chin. 'I'll be on this side of the wall, you see.' 'He's got a point,' Jack said, his face ducking down as a truck drove out from the farm, followed by a second. 'I can't be expected to work everything out, can I?' Fred asked, his face annoyed. 'We'll just bloody wing it, alright?' 'What a great idea,' Donald said,”
― Stuart Minor, The Changing Tide

“I’ve got a bunion the size of a hand grenade,”
― Stuart Minor, Storm of War

“That’ll never hold my weight,’ Fred said. ‘HMS Warspite would struggle to carry your weight,’ Little commented, before ducking nimbly away from the sergeant’s fist. ‘Cheeky sod,”
― Stuart Minor, Storm of War

“I'd sell my bloody wife for a packet of gaspers right about now,' Williams said, biting a fingernail that was cracked down the middle. 'You wouldn't get many for her,' Ed replied.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“My lads know how to work hard, that's all there is to it, isn't that right?' Fred asked, looking at his weary section who were trudging beside him on the road, their faces grey with fatigue. 'Yes corporal,' a youth with a thin moustache said, his voice nervous as he looked up at the big man. 'There yow are see, best section in the platoon they are.' 'Give it time, they haven't picked up any of your bad habits yet,' Williams replied. 'In a week they'll be good for fuck all.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“The French have had a kicking from day one and most of our army is still learning which way to hold a fucking rifle back in England.”
― Stuart Minor, The Redoubt

“Lost his glasses,' Harry replied. 'I don't care if he's lost his virginity, we can't hang about here all day,' Ed said,”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“The German swung an entrenching tool at Ham, the big soldier ducking from the blow, before thrusting up with his bayonet, the blade digging into the German’s thigh and sending him crashing into the ditch, his arms reaching up, before Ham crashed his boot down on his head.”
― Stuart Minor, The Devil's Bridge

“The girls used to tie strips of cloth to their mains...”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“I don’t know how you can get lost here, not with the trees to guide the way,’ Walter, the oldest man in the section, said. ‘It was bloody dark,’ Jones replied. ‘You should see it in the jungle at night,’ Walter said, a thin smile rising on his lips. ‘It’s darker than the pit. Why, I remember when we were tracking a band of dacoits near Kujoo Ghat that the bush was so thick that we couldn’t see even in daylight, not even with a lamp burning.’ ‘I wish you had stayed in the fucking jungle,’ Jones said.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“man fell in front of him and he fell into a heap onto the soldiers writhing form. He could feel his hands wet with blood and for a split second he panicked wondering where he had been hit, then he noticed the man below him and the blood frothing darkly from his chest.”
― Stuart Minor, The Complete Western Front Series by Stuart Minor

“Don’t worry yourself about it,’ Fred said, patting the tall soldier on the head. ‘Just get that pop gun clean.’ ‘Alright, corp,’ Ham said, his voice cheerful as he rubbed at the faded steel. ‘I’d say it’s clean already,’ Reg whispered to Fred. ‘Let him be, it’s keeping him out of mischief.”
― Stuart Minor, El Alamein

“It was quite draining and with my breeches making a good impression of a vice on my marriage equipment I was sorely in need of a rest.”
― Stuart Minor, The Rakeford Memoirs 1775-1776