# XII: I Become a Bomber explained — A Yankee in the Trenches > Chapter companion for A Yankee in the Trenches by Robert Derby Holmes. ## What happens The narrator is promoted to the Battalion Bombers, a dangerous role known as the 'Suicide Club,' and is tasked with leading a bombing party to capture a German-held trench near High Wood. After surviving a devastating shelling that buries him, he later enjoys a week of rest at a coastal camp before returning to the front, where he reunites with his chum Wellsie and faces the ongoing horrors of war. ## Themes in this chapter ### Horrors and Absurdity of War The narrator's promotion to the 'Suicide Club' and the brutal trench raid highlight the constant threat of death and the absurdity of military orders. ### Comradeship and Camaraderie The narrator carefully selects his men for the raid, and the reunion with Wellsie shows deep bonds between soldiers. ### Survival and Daily Life The narrator's rest week at the beach, with good food and bathing, contrasts with the front-line dangers, emphasizing the struggle for normalcy. ## Character check-ins ### The Narrator Promoted to bomber against his will, leads a bombing party, survives being buried by a shell, and later returns to the front after a rest week. ### Captain Green Promotes the narrator to the bombers and gives orders for the trench raid. ### Lieutenant May Commands the bombing party alongside the narrator, described as one of the bravest men. ### Bones Quotes Kipling, philosophizes about safety, and is with the narrator during the shelling. ### Dinky The narrator pats Dinky on the back just before the shell hits. ### Wellsie Reunites with the narrator upon his return to the battalion, expressing joy in Cockney dialect. ## Key lines > The bombers are called the 'Suicide Club' and are well named. The mortality in this branch of the service is as great if not greater than in any other. The bombing unit is nicknamed the 'Suicide Club' because its members face extremely high death rates, often higher than other roles. _Highlights the extreme danger of being a bomber._ > I selected my men carefully, taking only the coolest and steadiest and the best bombers. Most of them were men who had been at Dover with me. I felt like an executioner when I notified them of their selection. He chose the most reliable and experienced bombers for the raid, many from his training at Dover, but felt guilty knowing he was sending them into danger. _Shows the narrator's sense of responsibility and the emotional burden of leadership._ > My chum, Corporal Wells, who had a quaint Cockney philosophy, used to say that he liked to have the stomach ache because it felt so good when it stopped. On the same theory I became nearly convinced that a month in the trenches was good fun because it felt so good to get out. Corporal Wells joked that pain makes relief sweeter, and the narrator applied this idea to trench life, suggesting the misery makes the respite more enjoyable. _Illustrates the dark humor and coping mechanisms of soldiers._ ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters/xii-i-become-a-bomber - Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se - All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/a_yankee_in_the_trenches_se/chapters