What's the Name of That Book??? discussion

Type: children's timeslip
Date: no later than mid-80s (read it about this time), but possibly much older - pages looked yellow and aged.
Country of origin: probably Britain.
Story: two men who fought in the same town encounter each other and start talking war stories. Unusual point is that one is a crusader / warrior from the dark ages fighting against pagans (?), the other a French soldier fighting the Germans (don't recall which world war, but probably the second), and don't realise they are from different eras. (wallopingly implausible, but it was for under-12s). I have no idea how the story ended.

Only clear detail I recall is that the modern-day figure referred to the place as Soissons, the old warrior called it Soissong.

Was definitely for kids - large print and pretty short. May have been part of a collection of stories in one book.

Sorry to be so incredibly vague. Thanks in advance.

Bump. Not surprised that this one sank without a trace.

When I search gogglebooks on Soissong, what comes up is a story called "Cobbler, Cobbler, Mend My Shoe" by Jan Struther. It's British and seems to be mystery/paranormal/fantasy and for young readers (based on the anthologies it's in). It contains these passages:

muttering to himself, "You cannot make, neither can you mend. Are there no craftsmen left?"
There were three more shops of the same kind in the High Street, and at each of

-----

over his work under a flaming, fan-shaped gas-jet was Mr. Mullins, the cobbler. He looked up with a cheerful grin as the old man entered. He liked queer-looking customers.
"I wonder," said the old man diffidently, "whether you can mend my shoe?"
"Mend your shoe, sir? If it's anything made of leather, I can mend it. That's my trade, that is."

-----

"Yes. A long time ago."
"Sold the good-will, I suppose?"
"Good-will - ah, that's neither bought nor sold," said the old man.
"Tis in London," Mullins assured him. "But per'aps other places they've got other ways of doing business. Now where was it you was working exactly?"
"In Soissons," said the old man.
"Soissong? Not Soissong on the Aisne?"
"You know the place?" asked the old man, eagerly.
"I should think I ought to. I was there two years - there and thereabouts - before I was knocked out."

-----

"There now," said Mr. Mullins, putting the finishing touches to the sandal. "I think you'll find that all right. Don't you move, sir. I'll slip it on for you."
He knelt down amont the scraps of leather and fastened the sandal on to the bare and travel-stained foot. And then the extraordinary old man laid his wrinkled hand on Mullins's head and began to bless him.
Mullins thought, "Lumme, this is a go." The old cove must be one of the religious ones after all, who come and ask you whether you're saved. He was glad that there was nobody there to see him being made a fool of. And then suddenly he came all over queer, and felt happier than he ever had before and rather lightheaded. He couldn't see properly. His head swam....

It was only for a moment, but when he came to himself again the old man had gone away, and on the counter lay a gold coin. It wasn't a sovereign - it was a foreign coin, and it looked very old and worn. He slipped it into his pocket hastily because his small son Tommy had suddenly burst into the shop, swinging his school satchel.

"Oh, Dad! Do you know what we done 'safternoon? A play! At least, a bit of a play, Shakespeare. And we read it out in turns. And Dad - I was the King, I was!"

-----

acting stuff. Why can't they teach something useful? And 'll is Saint Crispin, any'ow, when 'e's at home?"
"'E was a shoemaker - just like you are," cried Tommy triumphantly. "An' Teacher said 'e wos the patter - patron - patron saint of shoemakers - so there!"
"Wos'e now?" said Mullins slowly, scratching his head.
Then, after a long pause - "Oh, 'e wos, wos'e?" said Mullins, thoughtfully, fingering the gold coin in his pocket.

This is "a tale for St. Crispin's day" says one source. Wikipedia says this is "a day most famous for the battles that occurred on it, most notably the Battle of Agincourt in 1415."

This has to be it. I seem to have twisted the occupations of the two characters, but the times are right.

I have listed it as solved, under the name of the first anthology in which I could find it (think it might have been this one that I read).

Many thanks.

I see your request is marked Solved with a header link for The Moonlight Traveler: Great Tales of Fantasy and Imagination by Philip Van Doren Stern. Glad you found your book, Alan.

You're welcome.