Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-03
PICTURESQUE LETTER
FROM MAN IN TRENCHES
Fails to Find Comfortable log Cab
ins So Often Described 10y
Correspondents.
GENERALLY IN KNEE-DEEP MUD
Declares Weeks Rest Works Won
ders, and Troubles and IiardsIiips
Soon Are Forgotten-Authori
Study Psychology of the Men.


Study Psychology of the Men.
Especial Cable to The Times ispat ch
LONDON. April 2.-"Somc waE has
called this area 'Floundcrs. or the BEL
gian Ocean," writes an officer OF the
queen Victoria Rifles i'm Il letter home
There is even IL rumor that II fleet
is Taking over operations here. The APP
pcartnce OF four royal naval reserve
men. who arc on leave and have come
I up here TO form their own opinions
ABOUT the trenches, have given support
to the ruInor.
fou cnnnot beat the articles OF eye
WilhcSS Tor an accurate description
OF our work and trench conditions out
mere generally: but we have never
struck anything like the wonderfully
| comfortable log cabins which we often
see described by correspondents. They
! must be IN 4 very different part of the
line, or be demonstration trenches some
way behind the fire trenches. Our luck
sends us TO the kncc-dcep mud trenches
But troubles and h2rdships are soon
! forgotten. a weeks rest works Won
dcrS.
Last night, on returning to rest bill
! Tets. after a rather arduouS time in the
trenches, was lucky enough TO find
IA beu--a real. double barrel spring bot
| tom bed. with sheet. Whether it was
the irony OF the situation :l,c COM
! plete relaxation after physical and
mental tension I do not know but as
! soon as L was on the bed burst into
laughter and then slep very. very
soundly. First solid winks for three
| nights. That was ut -, q village
about 1000 yards behind the firing line.
To-day we moved to -, which is
another 5000 Yards away. We have
been at - before: spent about n fort
| night here before we went into the
trenches. So we know the place. When
we were here last it had the appear
ance of hurriedly occupied town.
| Much movement and arranging of head
| quarters; men investigating with
view TO finding where they coulc GET n
stove to sit or cook by or "A hot cot
lee But now the town has settled
down. The English own the place
ana the men know where to find com
/ forts.
THREE FURTHER DAYS
| OF REST IN PROSPECT
! we rest here for Il week Rather n
lot of crooks on arrival--vcry dirty and
unshaVen; clothes caked in wet mud
mat becomes part OF the material and
refuses to be removed. All the mems
! feet cold and damp-most of them
rheumatic or swollen. Within tho week
they VIII be clean and lit. We have lust
htard that We go back to the trenches
via -. and that we are to have three
iurthef days rest there on the way up
:. Inc psychology Of the men seems to
nc studicd by the authorities. we re-
main in the trenches Just as lont. as
and no longer than human patience un-
, der existing conditions will allow We
are given Il rest not only long enough
for recuperaton, but long enough for
feelings of boredom and a sense OF un-
rest TO set in. and then, back we go
Tor more trench work. The men can
this time we'll do Will, nine days rest.
We have a fairly thick time, and the
authorities are showing their appre-
citation.
There have been several letters in
the Times lately upon the question of
behavior under fire. The corresponds
ents seem 10 assume that behavior
when under fire would be the result of
consideration when those strenuous cir
cumstanccs arrive. They overlook what
observation over here of the behavior
of men under fire leads one to believe
TO be OF paramount importance-namc-
~, the acquisition of the proper mental
attitude before the danger
Most men seem to have appreciated
before they came out here that war
entails the probability OF personal an
limitation. Appreciation of that fact,
coupled with willingness to make any
necessary sacrifices. has produced in
them mental attitude akin to the
phIlosophic, and. accordingly, when the
moment OF danger arrives, considcra-
ton Of tho personal danger is clmi-
mated, and their course of conduct is
prompted solely by the desire TO com
plctc whatever piece of work il at tho
moment in hand. But that IS a di-
gresSion
When we were last In the trenches
"o were under persistent shell fire
duties had located me I'm a fire trench
wcil to the right of where my platoon
WAS. About nine of the men only were
III Il small advance fire trench, and the
rcst-now only about twenty--wcre
packed in a small dugout "a few yards
behind. From where / was watching
with anxiety, il seemed as though the
shells were within few feet of 1t, il
not actually on, the packed dug outs
With each explosion masses Of black
earth sprayed up forty to fifty feet
into the air.
FLOCK OF WHITE PIGEONS
FLIES OVER BATTLE; FIELD
yet. amid all this terrible zone of
crashing and destruction, through this
playground of relentless violence.
there fiuttcrod from pool to pool made
BY shells in the soddcn bcetiicld. n
group of first five. then eight, and then
thirteen white pigeons. enjoying, re-
gardlcss Of the noise to which they
now seem accustomed. the showers OF .
earth and roots which fiji the air for
moments after each explosion.
News from my pla toon by field tclc-
phone being delayed, found myself
nsuring casualties by the number of