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About Independence enterprise. (Independence, Or.) 1908-1969 | View Entire Issue (June 28, 1918)
PAGE K EIGHT rlH Ml ANAMEKKMS WHO WENT MACHINE Gim,OTIG W FRANCE-" ' (ClISIT BY I arThur hiy t wry unrorMDENCEi OREGON. THE INDEPENDENCE ENTERrHio&i ....... ,rMOr. WCP It. rn..." - AMERICAN MARINES DISTINGUISH mcmoclwco ,N rnANUt EMPEY TAKES HIS FIRST TURN ON THE FIRING STEP OF THE TRENCH WHILE BULLETS WHIZ OVERHEAD. Synopsis. Fired by the sinking of the Lusltania. with the loss of American lives, Arthur Guy Etnpey, an American riving In Jersey City, goes to England and enlists as a private in the British army. After a short experience as a recruiting officer In London, he Is sent to train ing quarters in France, where he first hears the sound of big guns and makes the acquaintance of "cooties." After a brief period of training Empey's company la sent Into the front-line trenches. CHAPTER V. Mud, Rats and Shells. I must have slept for two or three hours, not the refreshing kind that re sults from clean sheets and soft pil lows, but the sleep that comes from cold, wet and sheer exhaustion. Suddenly, the earth seemed to shake and a thunderclap burst In my ears. I opened my eyes I was splashed all over with sticky mud, and men were picking themselves up from the bottom of the trench. The parapet on my left had toppled Into the trench, completely blocking It with a wall of tossed-up earth. The man on my left lay still. I rubbed the mud from my face, and an awful sight met my gaze his head was smashed to a pulp, and his steel helmet was full of brains and blood. A German "Minnie" (trench mortar) had exploded in the next traverse. Men were digging Into the soft mass of mud In a frenzy of haste. Stretcher-bearers came up the trench on the double. After a few minutes of digging, three still, muddy forms on stretchers were carried down the communication trench to the rear. Soon they would be resting "somewhere in France," with aiittle wooden cross over their heads. They had done their bit for king and country, had died without firing a shot, but their services were appreciated, nevertheless. Later on, j found out their Barnes. They belonged to our draft. I was dazed and motionless. Sud denly a shovel was pushed Into my hand3, and a rough but kindly voice said: i "Here, my lad, lend a hand clearing the trench, but keen your head down, and look out for snipers. One of the Fritz's Is a daisy, and hell get yon If you're not careful." Lying on my belly on the bottom of the trench, I filled sandbags with the sticky mud, they were dragged to my rear by the other men, and the work of rebuilding the parapet was on. The harder I worked, the better I felt. Al though the weather was cold, I was soaked with sweat. Occasionally a bullet would crack overhead, and a machine gun would kick un the mud on the bashed-ln para pet. At each crack I would duck and shield my face with my arm. One of the older men noticed this action of mine, and whispered : i "Don't duck at the crack of a bul let, Tank ; the danger has passed you never hear the one that wings you. Always remember that If you are going to get it, you'll get It, so never worry." I This made a great Impression on me at the time, and from then on, I adopt ed his motto, "If you're going to get it, you'll get it." It helped me wonderfully. I used it so often afterwards that some of my mates dubbed me, "If you're going to get it, you'll get It." After an hour's hard work, all my nervousness left me, and I was laugh, ing and joking with the rest. At one o'clock, dinner came up In the form of a dixie of hot stew. I looked for my canteen. It had fallen "off the fire step, and was half burled in the mud. The man on my left noticed this, and told the corporal, dishing out the rations, to put my share in his mess tin. Then he whis pered to me, "Always take care of your mess tin, mate." I had learned another maxim of the trenches. - That stew tasted fine. I was as hungry as a bear. We had "seconds," or another helping, because three of the men had "gone West," killed by the explosion of the German trench mortar, and we ate their share, but still I was hungry, so I filled la with bully beef and biscuits. Then I drained my water bottle. Later on I learned another maxim of the front line, "Go sparingly with your water." The bully beef made me thirsty, and by tea time I was dying for a drink, but my pride vould not allow me to ask my mates for water. I was fast learning the ethics of the trenches.. That night I was put on guard with an older man. We stood on the Are step with our hands over the top, peer ing out Into No Man's Land. It was nervous work for me, but the other fel low seemed to take it as part of the night's routine. Then something shot past my face. My heart stopped beating, and I ducked faj head below the parapet. A of t Chuckle from my mate brought me to my senses, and I feebly asked, "For heaven's sake, what was that?" He answered. "Only a rat taking a promenade along the sandbags." I felt very sheepish. About every twenty minutes the sen try In the next traverse would fire a star shell from his flare pistol. The "plop" would give me a start of fright. I never got used to this noise during my service In the trenches. T would watch the arc described by the star shell, and then stare into No Man's Land waiting for It to burst. In Its lurid light the barbed wire ana stakes would be silhouetted against its light like a latticed window. Then darkness. Once, -out In front of our wire, I heard a noise and 6aw dark forms moving. My rifle was lying across the sandbagged parapet. I reached for it, and was taking aim to fire, when my mate grasped my arm, and whispered, "Don't fire, lie cnaiiengea in a low voice. The reply came back instantly from the dark forms: "Shut your blinkln' mouth, " you bloomin' idiot ; do you want us to click It from the Boches?" Later we learned that the word, "No challenging or firing, wiring party out In front," had been given to the, sentry on our right, but he had failed to pass It dpwp the trench. An officer had over heard our challenge and the reply, and immediately put the offending sentry under arrest. The sentry clicked twenty-one days on the wheel, that is, he received twenty-one days' field pun ishment No. 1. or "crucifixion." as Tommy terms it This consists of being spread-eagled nn tha wheel nf ft limber tWO hours a day for twenty-one days, regardless of the weather. During this period, your rations consist of bully beef, biscuits and water. A few months later I met this sentry and he confided to me that since being "crucified," he had never failed to pass the word down the trench when so or dered. In view of the offense, the nhv Tinnishment was very light. In that falling to pass the word down a trench mav mean the loss 01 Bunj lives, and the spoiling of some lmpor tant enterprise in No Man's Land. It was not long after this that I was one of the "20 lying." I soon hit the hny and was fast asleep, even my friends the "cooties" failed to disturb mo. The next morning at about six o'clock I was awakened by the lance corporal of our section, Informing me that I had been detailed as mess or derly, and to report to the cook and give hlui a hand. I helped hlin make the fire, carry water from an old well, and fry the bacon. Lids of dixies are used to cook the bacon In. After breakfast was cooked, I carried a dlxle of hot tea and the Hd full of bacon to our section, and told the corporal that breakfast was ready. Ho looked at me in contempt, and thon shouted, "Break fast up, come and get It!" I immedi ately got wise to the trench parlance, and never again informed that "Break fast was served." It didn't take long for the Tommies tr nnswer this call, uair aresseu. they lined up with their canteens and I dished out tho tea. fcaen lummy rnrried in his hand a thick slice or bread which had been Issued with the rations the night before. Then I naa the pleasure of seeing them dig Into the bacon with their dirty fingers. The allowance was one slice per man. The late ones received very small slices. a a each Tommy not his share he" im mediately disappeared Into the billet Pretty soon about fifteen or mem maae a rush to the cookhouse, each carrying a huge slice of bread. These slices thev dlDDed into the oacon grease which was stewing over the fire. The last man invariably lost out. I was the last man. After breakfast our section carried their equipment Into a field adjoining the billet and got busy removing me trench mud therefrom, because at 8 'AO a. m., they had to ran in ior inspection and parade, and woe betide the man who was unshaven, or had mud on bis uniform. Cleanliness Is next to godli ness in the British army, and Old Pep per must have been personally ac quainted with St. Peter. Our drill consisted of close-order formation, which lasted until noon. rnrint this time we had two ten-min ute breaks for rest, and no sooner the word, "Fall out for ten minutes," was given than each Tommy got out a fag and lighted it Fags are issued every Sunday morn ing, and you generally get Detween twenty and forty. The brand gen erally issued is the "Woodbine." some times we are lucky and get "Gold flakes," "Players" or "Red Hussars." Occasionally an issue of "Life Kays" comes along. Then the older Tommies immediately get busy on the recruits and trade these for "Woodbines" or "Goldflakes." A recruit only has to be stuck once in this manner, and then he ceases to be a recruit There is a llJI 40 I CHAPTER VI. "Back of the Line." Our tour in the front-line trench lasted four days, and then we were relieved by the brigade. Going down the communication trench we were in a merry mood, al though we were cold and wet, and every bone In our bodies ached, It makes a lot of difference whether you are "going In" or "going out" At the end of the communication trench, limbers were waiting on the road for us. I thought we were going to ride back to rest billets, but soon found out that the only time an in fantryman rides is when he is wounded and is bound for the base or Blighty. These limbers carried our reserve ammunition and rations. Our march to rest billets was thoroughly enjoyed by me. It seemed as if I were on furlough, and was leaving be hind everything that was disagree able and horrible. Every recruit feels this way after being relieved from the trenches. We marched eight kilos and then halted in front of a French estamlnet. The captain gave the order to turn out on each side of the road and wait his return. Pretty soon he came back and told B company to occupy billets 117, 118 and 119. Billet 117 was an old stable which had previously been occupied by cows. About four feet in front of the entrance was a huge ma nure pile, and the odor from it was anything but pleasant. Using my flashlight I stumbled through the door. Just before entering I observed a white sign reading : "Sitting 50, lying 20," but, at the time, its significance did not strike me. Next morning I asked the sergeant major what It meant. He nonchalantly answered: "That's some of the work of the B. A. M. 0. (Royal Army Medical corps). It simply means that In case of an at tack, this billet will accommodate fifty wounded who are able to sit up and take notice, or twenty stretcher cases." r I'fc'v 4 V.OC t (?:! Resting Back of the Lines. reason. Tommy Is a great cigarette smoker. He smokes under all condi tions, except when unconscious or when he Is reconnoltering In No Man's Land at night. Then, for obvious rea sons, he does not care to have a light ed cigarette in his mouth. Stretcher bearers carry fags for wounded Tommies. When a stretcher bearer arrives alongside of a Tommy who has been hit the following conver sation usually takes place: Stretcher bearer "Want a fag? Where are you hit?" Tommy looks up and answers, "Yes. In the leg." After dismissal from parade, we re turned to our billets and I had to get busy immediately with the dinner is sue. Dinner consisted of stew made from fresh beef, a couple of spuds, bully beef, Maconochle rations and wa terplenty of water. There is great competition among the men to spear with their forks the two lonely potatoes. Hi 4 1 f.lV3 - u--w' kiwwW'" '' n.ummr- U (t (if tl(i Nll()rt)US (olltluct of tla, fnlte-l Stat.-s mtm Willi grout snlisn.i'ih.n ' Amoi u " l'"1 1 f , l8 ,.r M.own on Kb way to the lighting w the lighting in Franm A UirK '' -vj . SIGNAL CORPS MEN. INSTALLING TELEPHONE LINES TO TRENCHES j T Us photograpn Oust a Held butiullou .detudm'i4 ot tin hUu corps iiiHUMlug telephone lines to tot troM. line trenches by way of an old culvert. Note the ciuimullage. I one weapon of the hun "DEVIL DOG" AND "BLUE DEVIL" TOGETHER j f t ' mmmwM'0mJ IxU I I fw nmwKgw! I SK T 7 XI A 3., I i iLiy wv (A Back on the front line, after a stay In rest billets, Empey gets a 6hock when a German bullet cuts down his first friend of the trenches. He tells the Btory In the next Installment. (TO BE CONTINUED.) Make Light of Heavy Loads. The streets of Jerusalem within the walls are as narrow and crowded that it is impossible to drive a wagon through them, and many of them are built of a series of steps upon the hill side, so that it Is a task to lead camels or donkeys through them after sunrise, Therefore most of the carrying and porterlng is done by men. They carry the most surprising loads. I am told that they will step along briskly with 600 pounds on their brtcks, with stout ropes holding the bundles to. their tew heads Exchange, i The kaiser is reported to have wild recently that the Germans had taken enough prisoners, the inference being that all the wounded should be killed. This weapon, one of many thousands captured, Is a sample of those used by the Huns to murder soldiers talcon In their trench raids. Why Ships Are Sunk. Torpedoed merchant vessels are not sunk by extensive damage of the ship structure, is the view of a committee of the British Institution of Naval Architects, but bccau.se watertight compartments are not watertight. Plating and riveting are not disturbed over large areas, while bulkheads are not burst in by water pressure. Three causes explain many losses bulkhead doors too low-down to be closed after explosion, flooding of closed compart ments through fractured suction pipes, and penetrating of bulkheads by flying rivets and other fragments of steel. What Solomon Said. The teacher was talking to her class about Solomon and his wisdom. "When the queen of Sheba came and laid Jewels and fine raiment be fore Solomon, what did he say?" she asked presently. One small girl, who had evidently had experience In such matters, promptly replied: 'Ow much d'yer want for the lot?" McClary Wireless. ii immmtmimmtiMimMmmamtiY'"'1 """" Ilio American cm the U-ft Is a United States marine. FHU, clash with l, m, dubbed him a "Umfel bund," which is perfectly K000.,,6 for "devil dog." The soldier on the right Is a member of the Chasseurs w whom the Germans have called "hhio dovlls." Roth mnrlno and chasseur , wimngiy accepted (lie nppcllatloiiH. ITEMS OF INTEREST The present congress 1ms 17 union labor id embers. compensation Virginia's workmen's bill was vetoed. Female munition workers In France are limited to ten hours' work a day. The amount of land above sea level In the world would make a mist 000 feet thick If evenly distributed nil over the globe. About 00 per cent of Norway's den lsts are graduates of American dental colleges or have taken post graduate courses in the United States. Abyssinia Is the original home of me coffee tree, and In the southern - ., ,.,k1u.iuh or mat country here are still Immense forests of it thL!ave P.ever beenjouched. CONDENSATIONS . . ......... ombcrst Since 1000 traao union f i sea In Australia cent hns Incrca I The London & Northwest-, of England has offered BP f the side of Its line for food Pw. Lizards are being raised m dad, British West Indies, to y the sugar crop from ttogWV' Bread for the British soldier "near the front" by mem bar British Woman's army nuxii"1 1 Vnat nnr.lo wfrB first USed i .... r"-r Mrt of thot-j inn. xney aecumo - i., l In 1S09. British trade union member s n In Alienist. 1911 i per cent In August, 1WA1 ... ptt .t. fir has Deen ' niuuy muiii.ua tevsmv. - tlcally sero. !