Shoot the rabbit

First World War Audio Archive

Shoot the rabbit

Transcript

We met up on the train and, I don’t know what happened,

Hill 62 Memorial Belgium.

but something projecting from another train caught on the door of our train and pulled it open. And a lot of our equipment rolled out and three or four men with it. Well, I saved my haversack

Courtrai Memorial Belgium.

but my, or kitbag, but I lost my gas mask, you see. That’s how and when I lost it. So when we got to the end of (inaudible) or a least as far as the train went, we had to

Le Quesnel Memorial Belgium.

get off and walk the rest of the way. But I had to report to get another gas mask. And not only did I have to get a gas mask but it had to be tested, to see if it was alright. The way they

Gueudecourt Memorial France.

tested it was they put you in a room, you put your gas mask on, and then send some tear gas in. And if the gas mask was alright, it didn’t bother you. Well, I was delayed on account of getting

Dury Memorial France.

this gas mask. Then I had to sign for it. And then by the time I was ready to go, I couldn’t find any of the boys that was going

Monchy Memorial France.

where I went. I was kind of a one man draft when I was headed up trying to find the 46th where I was supposed to go. Eventually I got there. Where I went was signal section,

Passchendaele Memorial Belgium.

they were having their supper then. They got their best tins out and had their fill. Sitting down having their evening meal in the mess tent when I got there. Seems to me I remember that was the

Masnières memorial France.

first thing I remember was the singing, or the playing, of a record on an old gramophone. Somebody had found an old gramophone and there was one record on it. And they’d play that, you see,

Bourion Wood Memorial France.

whenever they were having a meal. And it was a song by Ada Jones. I remember that cracked record and it was... I don’t know whether

Courcelette Memorial France.

the title was ‘Shoot the Rabbit’ or ‘Johnny get your gun’ but that was, I remember, part of the wording of this song. And the way it went was, “Johnny get your gun, we’ve had some fun

Beaumont-Hamel Memorial France.

Come and shoot the rabbit, shoot the rabbit, shoot the rabbit,” and they’d get on that place of the cracked record and the needle wouldn’t move, you see, “Shoot the rabbit, shoot the rabbit,” and that’s the first thing I heard, keep, “Shoot the rabbit,

St. Julien Memorial Belgium.

shoot the rabbit.” I wondered what the hell was going on there. Well, then somebody got up and moved it and then it was gone, “Come and shoot the rabbits.” I don’t remember the words of it but that was my first appearance with the 46th.

Canadian National Vimy Memorial France.

I can’t recall any other reason about why I got there.

Description

Mr. MacKay describes his unusual trip to join the 46th Battalion, and some strange music to accompany his first meal with his unit.

Donald Finlay MacKay

Donald MacKay was born in Indian Head, Saskatchewan, on April 2, 1897. His father was a pre-Riel homesteader, but Mr. MacKay chose to teach, at age 17, in a one room school. In March 1917, he enlisted in the 249th Battalion at Regina, Saskatchewan. He was sent to Valcartier, Quebec, where he qualified for air force service, but opted to stay in the army. Mr. MacKay was ready to ship out to England, but an epidemic on board saw him quarantined at Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia. There he took officer training, qualifying as Sergeant. Once assigned to the 46th Battalion, Mr. MacKay served as a Signaller, primarily at Valenciennes. There is no record of his post-service experience. At the time of his interview, Mr. MacKay lived in Wolsely, Saskatchewan.

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