Jack Dorgan

On the western front, the cold and rain was relentless. Sergeant Jack Dorgan of the 1/7th Northumberland Fusiliers used to issue the rum ration to his platoon.

The ration would come up in a rum jar: about 14 inches high, a stone jar with a handle and a stopper. It had to be issued by an officer and an NCO. Being one of the only teetotal sergeants in the battalion, I was invariably the rum sergeant!

Everybody would be up and waiting for it. Word soon spread: “The rum ration’s on the job!” The officer would carry the rum jar and I would have a large spoon and the ration consisted of one spoonful. The rum we had was much stronger than the rum we have today!

The spoon was always licked by the fellow when he received his ration. That cleaned it ready for the next man!

Northumberland-born Jack Dorgan took part in the attack on St Julien during the second battle of Ypres. After the battle he was promoted to sergeant and continued to serve on the western front throughout 1915.