The Washington herald., 1915-08-06
BOMBS ARE THE
Things NOW, SIR
'Blue-eyed Subaltern Shows
Frederick Palmer Through
Anarchists " School.
NO M. BIS YET, BUT SOON
Writer Hears of New Styles" in Ex-
plosives Which British Toss
at the Boches.
NO M. BIS YET, BUT SOON
By FREDERICK PALMER.

By FREDERICK PALMER.
British Headquarters. France. July 20
1t was at a bombing school on French
farm where chosen soldiers brought bach
from the trenches were being trained
in the use of the anarchists weapon
which has now become as respectable
as the rifle. Specialism develops as the
war goes on. There are no NJ. B. de.
grees for Master Bombers'' yet, but
that may come, any day.
Present was the chief instructor. a
young Scotch subaltern with blue eyes
pleasant smile and a Cock of the
North spirit. He might have been q
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 some
thing in this war which would have
Won you Victoria Cross in one of the
little wars.
Also present was the assistant instruc-
tor-a sergeant Of resulars-and very
much of q regular-who had three rib
bons which he had won in previous cam
paigns. He, too, had blue eyes, blond
blue eyes. These two understood each
other.
elf You Drop 1t -.''
III you don't drop it. why. it's all
right" said the sergeant. "Of course. II
you do"
We did not drop it.
And when you throw il. sir you must
look out and not hit the man behind and
knock the bomb out of your hand. That
has happened before now to an absent
minded fellow who was about to toss one
at the Boches-and it does not do to be
absent-minded when you throw bombs
They say that you some time pick
up the German bombs and chuck them
back before they explode" 1t was sCg
gested.
Yes. sir. I've read things like that
in some of the .ccoun.s of the re-
porters who write from somewhere in
France. You don: happen to know
where that is sir? All / can say is
that if YOU are going to do it you
must be quick about it. / shouldn' I
advise deIaying your decision. sir, or
perhaps ~:..n you reach down 20 pick
it up neither your band nor the bomb
would be there THEY'D have gone
off together. sir"
Have you ever been hurt in your
handling OF bombe"' one asked. Sur
prise in the bland. blue eyes.
''Oh. 10, 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.
This is a poor kind. sir. It's been
discarded, but l thought that you
might like to see it. Never did like
it. Always making trouble"
More distance between the audi
ence and the performer. -
Now I've got il, sir-get down. sir"
The audience carried out instruc-
tions to the letter as army regulations
require. We got behind the protection
of one of the practice trench traverses.
He threw the discard beyond another
wall of earth. There was sharp re-
port, a burst of smoke and some frag-
ments of earth were tossed into the
air.
In small affair of 200 yards of
trench the other day IL was estimated
that the British and Germans together
threw about 5000 bombs in this fash
ion. 1t was enough to sadden any
minister of munitions. However. the
British kept the trench.
DO you men like to become bomb
ers?' one asked the subaltern.
They Miss Their Cricket.
II should say so. 1t puts them up
-
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. 4
irst-class bombing detachment has a
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
lion of trench taken. AS you know
trench is dug and built with sand
bags in zigzag traverses. In follow
ng the course of a trench, it is as if
YOU followed the sides of the squares
IF a checker board UP and down and
across on the same tier of squares.
rhe square itself is a bank of earth
With the cut on either side and in
'ront of it. When a bombing party
,ombs their way into the possession
IF a section of German trench there
ire Germans under cover of the ira
,erses on either side of them. The
German is waiting around the corner
@ shoot the first British head that
hows itself.
ITS important that you and not the
Boches chuck the bombs over first"
explained the subaltern. Also that you
,et them into their traverse or they may
De troublesome to you as to the enemy"
With the bombs bursting in their faces
he Germans who are not put out of
,ction are blinded and stunned. In the
moment when they are thus OF guard
he aggressors leap around the corner
And then?"
stick 'em. sir" said the matter-of-
act sergeant. Yes. the cold steel Is
,est. And do it first. AS Mr.. Mac |
7herson said, it's very important to ID
{ first
1t has been found that something short
5 handy for this kind of work In such
,ramped quarters-a ditch SIX feet deep
md from two to three feet broad-the
life Is an awkward length to permit
II prompt and skillful use Of the bayonet
Yes. sir, you can mix 1t up better
With something handy. sir-to think
British soldiers would come to fighting |
ike assassins. SIR" said the serseant
you must be spry on such occasions
It's no time for wool gathering"
Not a smile from him or the subaltern |
III the time. They were the kind you |
would like to have alone in . tight corner |
whether you had to fight with knives or |
lists or seventcen-inch howitzers.
81 inf fhA utnHN. |