Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-06

come as respectable as the rifle
Specialism develops as the war goes
on. There are no NJ. B. degrees for
Master Bombers yet; but that may
come. any day.
Present was the chief instructor. a
young Scotch subaltern with blue
eyes, a pleasant. smile and a Cock OF
the North spirit. He might have been
twenty years old, though he did not
| look it. On his breast was the purple
and white ribbon of the new order of
the Military Cross which you get for
doing something in this war which
would have won you Victoria Cross
in one of the little wars.
| Also present was the assistant in
! srtuctor, sergeant of regulags-and
very much of a regular-wh6f had
three ribbons which he had Won in
previous campaigns. Hettoo had blue
eyes. bland blue eyes. These two I'M
derstood each other.
If you don't drop it, why it's all
right" said the Sergeant. "Of course.
if you do"
We did not drop it.
and when you throw it, SIR, you
must look out and not hit the man be-
hind and knock the bomb out Of your
hand. That has happened before now
to an absent minded fellow when
you throw bombs"
They say that you sometimes pick
up the German bombs and chuck them
back before they explode" it was
suggested. a.
res, sir, I've read things like that
in some of the accounts of the report
ers who write from Somewhere in
France You don't happen to know
where that is, sir? All 1 can say is
! that if you are going to do it you must
nc quick about it. l shouldn't advise
delaying your decision. sir. or perhaps
when you reach down to pick it UP
neither your hand nor the bomb would
be there. They'd have gone off to-
gether. sir" .--....
Have You ever been hurt in your
handling of bombs?' one asked. Sur
prise in the bland. blue eyes.
"Oh. no, sir. Bombs are we'll be-
haved if you treat them right. It's all
in being thoughtful and considerate of
them"
Meanwhile he was jerking at some
kind of a patent fuse set in a she'll of
high explosive. 49,.
This is poor kind. sir. It's been
discarded, but l thought that you
might like to see it, Never did like
il, Always making trouble."
More distance between the audience
and the performer. -
Now I've got it, sir-get down,
sir"
The audience carried out instruc-
tons to the letter as army regulations
require We got behind the protec
ton of one Of the practice trench
traverses. He threw the discarded
beyond another wall of earth. There
was a sharp report, a burst of smoke
and some fragments of earth were
tossed into the air.
In a small affair of two hundred
yards of trench the other day it was
estimated that the British and Ger
mans together threw about five thou
sands bombs in this fashion. 1t was
enough to sadden any Minister of
Munitions. However, the British kept
the trench.
DO the men like to become bomb
ers?'' one asked the subaltern.
Il should say so. 1t puts them up
in front. 1t gives them chance 10
throw something-and they don't get
much cricket in France you see. We
had a pupil here last week who broke
the throwing record for distance. He
was pleased as punch with himself.
A first class bombing detachment has
lot of pride of corps"
To bomb has become as common a
verb with the army as to bayonet.
We bombed them OUT" means a sec
ton of trench taken. AS YOU know a
trench is dug and built with sandbags
in zigzag traverses. In following the
course of trench it is as if you fol-
lowed the sides of the squares of a
checker board up and down and across
on the same tier of squares. The
square itself is a bank of earth with
the cut on either side and in front OF
it. When a bombing party bombs
their way into the possession Of a sec
ton of German trench there areSGer-
! mans under cover of the traverses on
either side of them. The German is
waiting around the corner to shoot
the first British head that shows itself
| Its important that you and not the
Boches chuck the bombs over first"
explained the subaltern. ALSO that
you get them into their traverse or
they may be as troublesome to you as
to the enemy ii
/ With the bombs bursting in their
faces the Germans who are not pus
out of action are blinded and stunned.
In the moment when they are thus off
guard the aggressors leap around the
corner
And them"
Stick 'em, sir.' said the matter
of-fact sergeant. YES, the cold steel
! is best. And do it first. AS Mr.. Mac
Pherson said, it's very important to do
| it first
/ 1t has been found that something
short is handy for this kind of work.
/ In such cramped quarters ditch six
! feet deep and from two to three feet
broad-the rife is an awkward length
to permit of prompt and skilful use
of the bayonet.
! Yes, sir. YOU can mix it I'D better
with something handy, sir-to think
British soldiers would come to fightine
like assassins. sir" said the Sergean,
You must be spry on such occa-
sions. It's no time for wool gather
ing