Post by Daniel Brennan on Apr 15, 2008 19:10:57 GMT
Accepted!
Great application, I quite enjoyed reading that.
~Danny
Account E-Mail: EDITED OUT!
Name: James F. Mason
Nationality: English
What Army will Your Character Serve Beneath?
UK
Character History:
James was born in a small house in Manchester, to a poor family in 1921. His father worked in a factory that made car parts, and his mother worked at home with his two younger sisters. As with most boys his age, he was out on the streets for most of the time; playing with other boys and generally causing trouble. He hated backing down from a challenge, so he would follow the other boys everywhere, getting in trouble with them and taking the punishment with them. A few times, he had to be practically dragged home by an angry neighbor, for breaking a window with a ball, or trying to steal sweets from behind the counter when the shopkeeper wasn’t looking.
But as he got older, he did get more mature, and he found that being nice to the locals and doing small jobs for them, paid off much better in the end, then causing trouble did. He was always happy to go help a neighbor plant some potatoes in her garden, or help clean out the gutters. He would have built up a large amount of cash after a short while, had he not always spent his money straight away, on sweets. When he was fourteen, James’s father had saved up enough money to buy the house they were living in, off the landlord. They had been renting before, but now they were depending on only themselves.
When the war started in 1939, everything changed. Food was rationed, families were issued with gas masks and young men were slowly disappearing off the streets, joining the army’s. Everything seemed more serious, now. After a while, James himself joined the army. He applied to be in the Royal Marines Commando’s, and started the grueling training. His group finished training in 1940 - With considerably fewer men, than it started off with - and was sent straight over to France. He got along well with the other men and made (And lost) a lot of friends.
Military Rank: Private
Writing Sample:
James crawled slowly along the sodden, waist high grass. His unit was around him, all doing the same thing. It would obviously be quicker, to just get up and walk, but the Germans had snipers and scouts everywhere. If they were seen by a scout, then he could just call in reinforcements, or artillery and his whole unit could be killed. The man behind him bumped, into him and hissed at James to hurry up. James crawled faster for the last few feet, until he reached the hedge where his squad was waiting. Once everyone was through the first field, they squad continued onwards, through the next field. James looked around frequently; He couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. It was unlikely that someone had seen them and didn’t start shooting, but his training taught him to expect everything.
Suddenly a shot rang through the air. Nobody called out to see who was hit; they all knew they would be next if they gave away their position. They had to stay moving. A second shot came, but this time it was followed by a scream of pain. James couldn’t see anyone around him. He wanted to stand up and look around, but that would be suicide. He just kept crawling, trying to disturb as little grass as possible. An MG42 opened up; cutting into the grass of the field. This time there was a lot of screams. The bullets swept right over James, somehow missing him.
James crawled faster, almost running. He reached the hedge and threw himself through it. He looked around; He could still hear the machine-gun, and he wanted to go back, but that would be stupid. Five other men from the whole group had made it through the field. The CO was nowhere to be seen. A sergeant took charge, “Alright, move on.”
James moved on.
Great application, I quite enjoyed reading that.
~Danny
Account E-Mail: EDITED OUT!
Name: James F. Mason
Nationality: English
What Army will Your Character Serve Beneath?
UK
Character History:
James was born in a small house in Manchester, to a poor family in 1921. His father worked in a factory that made car parts, and his mother worked at home with his two younger sisters. As with most boys his age, he was out on the streets for most of the time; playing with other boys and generally causing trouble. He hated backing down from a challenge, so he would follow the other boys everywhere, getting in trouble with them and taking the punishment with them. A few times, he had to be practically dragged home by an angry neighbor, for breaking a window with a ball, or trying to steal sweets from behind the counter when the shopkeeper wasn’t looking.
But as he got older, he did get more mature, and he found that being nice to the locals and doing small jobs for them, paid off much better in the end, then causing trouble did. He was always happy to go help a neighbor plant some potatoes in her garden, or help clean out the gutters. He would have built up a large amount of cash after a short while, had he not always spent his money straight away, on sweets. When he was fourteen, James’s father had saved up enough money to buy the house they were living in, off the landlord. They had been renting before, but now they were depending on only themselves.
When the war started in 1939, everything changed. Food was rationed, families were issued with gas masks and young men were slowly disappearing off the streets, joining the army’s. Everything seemed more serious, now. After a while, James himself joined the army. He applied to be in the Royal Marines Commando’s, and started the grueling training. His group finished training in 1940 - With considerably fewer men, than it started off with - and was sent straight over to France. He got along well with the other men and made (And lost) a lot of friends.
Military Rank: Private
Writing Sample:
James crawled slowly along the sodden, waist high grass. His unit was around him, all doing the same thing. It would obviously be quicker, to just get up and walk, but the Germans had snipers and scouts everywhere. If they were seen by a scout, then he could just call in reinforcements, or artillery and his whole unit could be killed. The man behind him bumped, into him and hissed at James to hurry up. James crawled faster for the last few feet, until he reached the hedge where his squad was waiting. Once everyone was through the first field, they squad continued onwards, through the next field. James looked around frequently; He couldn’t help but feel like he was being watched. It was unlikely that someone had seen them and didn’t start shooting, but his training taught him to expect everything.
Suddenly a shot rang through the air. Nobody called out to see who was hit; they all knew they would be next if they gave away their position. They had to stay moving. A second shot came, but this time it was followed by a scream of pain. James couldn’t see anyone around him. He wanted to stand up and look around, but that would be suicide. He just kept crawling, trying to disturb as little grass as possible. An MG42 opened up; cutting into the grass of the field. This time there was a lot of screams. The bullets swept right over James, somehow missing him.
James crawled faster, almost running. He reached the hedge and threw himself through it. He looked around; He could still hear the machine-gun, and he wanted to go back, but that would be stupid. Five other men from the whole group had made it through the field. The CO was nowhere to be seen. A sergeant took charge, “Alright, move on.”
James moved on.
