The Monmouth herald., December 21, 1917, Image 5

3. sy . Yv 13'
V AT
THE-EKONT
An American Boy't
Baptism of Fir
By WILLIAM J. ROBINSON
Copyrl(hU Unit', Brave ft Ce.
The mow graphlo account ( the
treat war that hue yet tn wrttttn
comet from the pn 0f a twenty-two-ymr-old
Hoaion boy, who hai Jut re-
turned from Franca, where aa dragoon
fuardaman, dispatch rijar and motor
car driver he aerved fourteen monthi
under the British flag. Out of thirty,
one rfintorcycle dispatch rider ha aj
on of four aurvlvora
it hwius ti at the Germans had run
an armored fuin through and had be
gim ahe'dlng the town frnui the train.
Our artillery went Into action right
away, and instead of hitting the train
first they shelled the tracks behind the
train and tore the road all up go that
the train could not get bark. Then
they took their time and blew the train
off the map.
Sunday morning the shells liegan to
fall in the town again, and they were
big ones this time-twelve huh, I
heard later. We knew that It was no
armored train this time, and we knew
that we were in for a hot time,
I was detailed with my ear for the
field cashier, which meant that if the
order came to move iVouM have an
officer, armed escort and all the money
belonging to the headquarters, amount
ing to ?10,0:X). All I had to do at the
time waa to stand by and wait for or
ders. They kept up the shell fire all day,
but at night they quit. There were
quite a few of our chaps killed and
many civilians too.
The chaplain of No. 3 casualty clear
ing station had taken over a building
and sturted a soldiers' home. It was
a place where a fellow could go when
he was oft duty, and there were books,
magazines, cake, tea, etc., to be had
for the asking. It was a tine thing,
and it was always crowded, for the
fellows enjoyed it Immensely.
This was the first building to be hit,
and it was full of fellows at the time.
A twelve inch shell crashed through the
roof and exploded on the second floor.
The building caved in like a house built
of cards. The marvelous part of It was
that, although there must have been
fully 1()0 men in thpre at the time, not
a single one was killed. A few had
pome scratches and other minor in
juries, and one had his arm broken,
but these were the only casualties from
this shell.
I lost all my belongings during the
bombardment. I had been keeping my
kit bag in the loft of a stable, and a
SIM
-2 mirts-'
il
No Sooner Had That Shell Landed
Than the Civilians Commenced to
Move.
ehell came through and laid the build
ing to the ground.
All day Monday the shelling con
tinued, and still no orders came for
us to move. Things were beginning to
look serious now, and we wondered
how much longer we would have to
stick it out It was the most unsat
isfactory duty one could imagine.
There we were doing absolutely noth
ing and the Germans throwing shell
after shell into us. We had no chance
to hit back, and there was nothing ex
cept to stolid by and take our chances.
When the order did come to move the
field cashier was the last one to be noti
fied, but even thonrh we were the last
to pet t!ie older we were the first one.
out, and I was UaiW.to W
tiiai PGe. e vuT,t aWir-uTt Til,
meter down the road and took over
teuiiorary headquarter In a little vil
lage. It was Just after we moved down to
this village that got the only acrati a
I had during the whole campaign. I
was on the M.-kelmst-b rad with a
taff colonel, and we had leen Tisltinur
some regiments that were oat of action
at the time. While we were there the
Germans started shelling, and we de
i ld.il it would 1 U-tter for us If we
moved to a healthier locality. The
Lionel was sitting In the touneau of
the car. while I, of course, was lu the
driving scat.
As we swung out Into the main mad
we heard a shell coming, and automat
ically I I .at on more speed. The ahell
burst right on the side of the road.
One piece of It flew through the bottom
of the car and tore the footboard right
from under the colonel's feet. It didn't
bother him the leat bit. He simply
swung his feet right up on to the seat
and advised me to crowd on a little
more speed.
Another little piece of the shell graz
ed my right Kg Just above the knee.
It was a mere rralch, but It seared
me as nothing ever has since, and I
guess I thought my whole leg was
irone.
The same shell that came so close to
us caught another poor fellow and
wounded him In the back In twenty
nine different places, and with ull this
be walked a quarter of a mile to a
dressing station.
CHAPTER XI. ,
Preferred Firing Line to Hospital.
SOON' afier this 1 reported sick for
the' Li si time since 1 had beeu in
the liritish tinny. I had a growth
hi my thruat, mid they seat me to a
hospital in Anueutieres. There they
removed the growth and put me to
bed on a stretcher.
I was in the hospital only three dnys,
and during my stay there the Germans
shelled the town the entire time. 1
felt awiuily sorry tor the poor fellows
there who were helpless and didn't
know nt what moment a shell might
come through und wipe them off the
face of the earth.
I stood it for three days, and when
I saw that they had made no move to
discharge nie from hospital 1 asked
the orderly in my ward when I would
be likely to get out.
"Oh," he said, "you won't be out of
here for a week yet!"
"Won't I?" 1 asked. "Well, you Just
go down to the other end of the ward
and turn your back for a few moments
and see whether I will get out or not!"
lie said he couldn't do a thing like
that, but the next time Lk was down
there I simply got up und walked out.
In these hospitals so near the firing
line there are no such things al beds,
and one simply lies on a stretcher with
his clothes till on.
When I reached the gate of the hos
pital I found a policeman on duty
there, but 1 simply said the magic
word "Duty" and walked right by him.
I got a lift on a motor lorry for four
teen miles, and I walked the other
eight buck to camp.
When I returned and reported my
self they asked me for my discharge
sheet, but I said I had lost it, so there
was nothing they could do about it.
In the spring of 1015 the kulser paid
a' visit to the German trenches. 1 guess
he enme very quietly, for the first we
knew of it was when the Germans in
the trenches opposite us raised a big
board above their parapet, on which
was printed something like this:
THE EMPEROR WAS HERE TESTER
DAY. HAD YOU OXLY KNOWN!
THE ENGLISH WERE EVER SLOW!
Our chaps printed a board which
went thorn one better. It said:
THE KING HAS BEEN HERE TWICE.
TOMORROW THE PRESIDENT
, OF FRANCE COMES.
WE ARE NOT AFRAID TO TELL YOU
NOW.
FRITZ, YOU ARE HARMLESS!
To carry the Joke to the end, some
body dug up a silk hat from some
where, and about 1 o'clock all the fel
lows began to cluer. They stuck the
hat on the end of a stick and carried
It along the trench so that it coiild be
seen.
That hat was absolutely riddled with
bullets, but they carried It clear to the
end of the treu' h, and then they threw
both hat und stick over the parapet, so
that the Germans could see how they
had been fooled. And how our fellows
howled!
The Germans were so mad I think
they would have done us violence had
they had the opportunity. A little
thing like that means a lot to the boys
In the trenches, and It is the subject
of conversation for days and days
afterward.
Later we began to have more trouble
with spies. We caught bunches of
them, but there always seemed to be
more' about. Occasionally there would
be a Belgian among them, but for the
most part they were Germans, and we
could not understand it. We caught
them In all pulses, but for the greater
part they seemed to fancy kilts as be
ing above suspicion. On the face of
the thing this la ridiculous, for who
can Imitate tbe Scotch accent bo U w
get by in the British lines?
Ia one week we caught fourteen Ger
mans who were Wearing the kilt, and
fli.y e.71 "WvrnTn v.-ryuii7u MirfiriM!
that they should have beeu captured
while r.e,l!ij as Scotchmen.
To put stop to this spying it was
decided to close all roads for a (leriod
of twenty-four hour. All men were
warned that from 9 o'chvk on such
and such a ni.-ht until it o'clock the
following night they tvere lt.it to leave
their units without the eclul pass
provided for these twiHity'-fouMionrs.
Sentries were placed '.1M yards apart
on all the roads in the daytime and lu
yards at night. All these preparations
were made very quietly and the great
est sccivejr preserved. I was detailed
with my car to patrol certain roads
during the twenty-four hours, ami, of
course, all the nt her roads were pa
trolled too. We had orders to stop er
ery one we met. and If they were not
provided with the qnvlal jmss we were
to take them prisoner regardless of
what uniform they were wearing. It
looked like tiresome work, but It prot
ed to be rather exciting.
I started over my route promptly at
9 o'clock, ami yon may be sure I was
all on edge to make a capture. My
car was flying the flag of the army
corps headqiiarters, so I was not both
ered by the sentries stopping nie. I
went over the route the first time with
out meeting a soul who wasn't quite
all right. I was much dlsapimlnted,
for I thought I would be picking up
spies wholesale. On the second trip I
began to think that I was going to
have about the same luck as I did on
the first, for everything seemed ery
quiet and peaceful.
I came to the village of Herzeele and
turned Into the mad which leads to
Watou, and, as I said, I was begin
ning to lie sick of my Job. There was
rather a sharp curve In this road, and
as I turned It 1 saw by the light of
my electric headlights two men stand
ing in the middle of the road. The
minute they caught sight of my car
they started out across a field as hard
as they could go,;
I yelled at them and Jammed on my
brakes. They didn't stop, so I pulled
my revolver and sent a couple of per
suaders after them. That brought
them to a halt all right, and they start
ed yelling "Friend!" at the top of their
voices. I twisted the searchlight on
my car around until the light shone full
on them, and then 1 called to them to
keep their hands lu he air and come
back on the road.
They didn't seem very anxious about
it, but I assured them if they didn't I
would fill them full of holes. I cer
tainly felt tierce enough to do It. They
canto up on to the road, und I made
them stand one on each side of the
car. Then I noticed that one of them
had on a pair of German soldiers'
boots, and then 1 knew that I hud
fish for sure. I got out and searched
them, but they were unarmed.
What w as worrying me was the fact
that In taking them back one of them
would have to sit behind me In the
car. .1 took off my spare tires and put
them In the back of the car, and with
the straps I bound one fellow's feet
and hands. I piled lilm Into the tou
neau und made the other sit In front
with me. I assured him if he made ai
single move 1 didn't like I would
pump him full of lead P. D, Q.
In this way I took them Into camp
without accident. They were shot as
spies two days later. Our .haul for the
twenty-four hours was thirty-one spies,
and every one df them was a German.
One of the most terrible things I
ever witnessed was the destruction of
the chateau at Ilooge, The chateau
was in a very peculiar position, being
on the dead ground between our trench
es and the Germans. Sometimes we
would hold it and sometimes they
would, and It offered great chances to
both for sniping.
Sometimes we hold part of It, and
they would hold the other part. Then
there was some great hand to hand
fighting. Our fellows in one room
Would" be digging 'Soles through the
wall to pot nt Germans In the next.
It was so close to our trenches that
Se'did not dare to shell It. and the
same thing applied to the Gentian.
It was divided to mine the thing and
blow It iff the face of the earth. I
think the Germans had divided the
same thing, and It was simply case
of who would get their mines laid first.
We got the Jump on thetn. and when
everything was ready our boys enticed
the Germans Into It, and then the work
of destruction started. I was sitting
en horseback behind some staff officers
We were ahmit half a mile from the
place, but we had our ears at tiffed
with cottotf to prevent the explosion
from Injuring our hearing.
When the mines were sit off we s;nv
a night such as one ol serves only once
In a lifetime. The earth trembled.
low, growling rumble ensued, then a
mighty crash, and the air was hT"d
with smoke, flame, bricks, dust, fly;ug
bodies, heads, lens and anus. Our fel
lows let out a mb'hty cheer and churn
ed across the crater formed by the ex
plosion. The Germans seemed stunned
by the awful sight they had witnessed,
and we took several lines of trenches
from thiyn with very little trouble. The
losses on the German side were terri
ble, and we lost heavily ourselves. The
chateau at llooge will always be re
membervd by those who saw it.
His majesty the king paid his armies
a visit In the fall, and as I had never
seen King Georxe I was much Inter
ested. I had seen the king of Belgi
um and also President Polncnre of
France, but up to this time I had nev
er seeu the king, for whom I was fight
ing. We were warned the day before,
and every one had to be bright and
shining for the tag event. The king
drove up In a car liearlng the royal
standard on It, and you may lie sure
that car waa given the right of way
over everything. Two dispatch ridera
hud dashed along the road ahead of
the car, clearing the way ao that noth
iug a'jouhj aeiay me royal party. 1
was ou of large detail of mounted
men who acted ae eacort to hl maj
esty. When he left the car he mounted the
U-tutiful horse that waa waiting for
hbn. and, escorted by the guard, he
r- d out to the reviewing ataud. lie
made a speech to the men, who were
formed up on the parade, and he thank,
ed them for their loyalty and devotion
t England In her time of need.
I could only hear few worda of
his address, as I waa stationed quite
a distance away from him. As he flu
shed the aiwh he saluted. The fel
lows threw tlielr hats Into the air and
let out a Mighty chtvr. When this
uaiqieued eury horse ou the ground,
luii.ullng my own, stood right up on
his :dnd legs and reached for the blue
sMcs above.
The king was thrown lu some way
and sustained lnluiies that were rather
serious. Tint un.d.ut acted aa a
dumper to the enthusiasm, tu.d the
king's visit ended much dlffereutly
than was existed.
CHAPTER XII.
Last Day at the Front.
TUE last engagement of any Im
portance Hint I was In was the
big attack at Loos lu Bepteiubcr.
lu a big attack like this no ono knows
but the commanders Just where the
real thrust la coming. Several attacks
are made, and for all we knew ours
might be the real tine, or the real one
might be twenty miles away from us.
It liappemTl that at the time of the
lust uttuck we were almost sure that
the big drive was coming through us.
We were ordered to be ready to move
at a moment's notice, and all prep
arations Were mndu for a litir shift
When the attack came we thought thut
we were on our way at last, and every
body wna "counting chickeua."
Continued next week
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