Home on the Range,
Smudge,
Never heard that version, I have to admit ! (but then, we were out of the mainsteam in Europe for the whole of the war after '42). All sorts of things went on that we only got to hear about (sometimes much) later.
As to our circumstances when we were not actually mud-moving, we were only too aware of the luxury in which we were living, in comparison with the poor 14th Army devils in the jungles of Arakan and Assam.
A few days ago on TV, I watched a programme on the 81st (West African) Division in Burma in '44. It was sobering to see the footage of the conditions in which they had to live, never mind fight, in the battles round Maungdaw and Buthidaung (and of course, in the well known "Battle of the Admin Box").
We, on the other hand, had a roof over our heads, a bed of sorts and enough to eat, even if it was not always cordon bleu. You can always find someone worse off then yourself !
Danny.