Norwich bulletin., 1915-08-16
all in being thoughtful snd-considera4e


kind of a patent fuse set in q shell
Of high explosive.
This is a poor kind. sir. It's been
discarded. but thought that you
might like to see it. Never did like
it! Always ma1ia- troubled"
More distance tween the audience
and the perform
Now I've r5s get down, sfrf''
The audienC> cs-G- d out instructions
to the lettc~ E. regulations re-
quire. We - = I'd the protection
of one OF =" ~; trench traverses.
He threw tiis ii II beyond another
port. q 6l9s, { SIr, ke and some frag-
ments OF sara ", re tossed into the
air.
In q sr,a,! = ar of two hundred
yards af t~enc> he other day it was
estir-S ID tdat e British and Ger
and foTnLs i Shis fashion. 1t was
eDor~h 10 SIG3en any Minister of
Gur tio2s. However. the British kept
the trench.
DO the men like to become
oomhers - one asked ths sEhaltern-,
front, Il gives them chance to throw
something-and they don't get much
cricket in France. You see. We had .
pupil here last week who broke the
throwing record for distance. He was
pleased as punch with himself. A
tirst-class bombing detachment has a
lot of pride OF corps"
To bomb has become as common q
verb with the army as to bayonet- we
bombed the moutl" means q section
of trench taken. AS you know q
trench is dug and built with sand
bass in zsgzag traverses. In following
the course of q trench II Is as If YOU
followed 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 II, When a bombing party
bombs their way into the possession
Of q section OF German trench there
are Germans under cover or the
traverSes on either side OF them. The
German Is waittng around the corner
to shoot the first British head that
shows itself,
'Tts important that you and not the
Boehes chuck the bombs over first
explained the suhaltern. also that
you set them into their traverse or
they may be as Troublesome to you as
with the bombs bursting IN their
faces the Germans who are not put
out OF action are blinded and stunned.
In the nomeNt when they are thus on
guard the aggressers leap around the
SOENlSAN
"And thens"
stick 'em. xtr," said the matter
of-faot sergeant. "Tes, the cold steel
is best. And do It FIRST. AS Mr., Mac
Pherson said, its very important to
do 1t firSt."
Ii has been found that something
short is handy for this kind OF work,
In much cramped quarters-a ditch
six feet deep and from two to three
feet hroad-the rifle is an awkward
length to permit of prompt and skill
full use OF the oaSonet,
Yes, sir YOU can mix it up better
with something handy, sir-to think
British soldiers would come to fight
ing like assasstns. SIR" said the
sergeant.
You must be spry on such occa-
sions, It's no time for wool gather
ing"
Not a smile from him or the sub
altern all the time. They were the
kind you would like to have along in
8 tight corner whether YOU had to
fight with knives or fists or seventeen
inch howitzers.
The sergeant took us into the store
house where he kept his supply of
bombs,
What If a German she'll should
strike your storehouse?" it was sug-
gested.
Then, sir expect that most of the
bombs would be exploded. Bombs are
very peculiar in their habits. What
do you think, sir?"
1t was no trouble to show stock, as
the clerks at the stores say. He
brought forth all the different kinds of
bombs which British ingenuity has
invented-but, no, not all invented.
These would mount into the thousands.
Every British inventor who knows
anything about explosives has tried his
hand at q new kind of bomb One
A.
ish war office has considered worth a
practice test
These were yellow and green and
blue and black and striped bombs, egg
shaped, barrel-shaped, conical and
concave bombs; bombs that were ex-
pioded by pulling string or pressing
button-an these to be thrown by
hand, without mentioning grenades
and other bigger varieties which were
thrown by mechanical means which
would have made Chinese warrior
of Confucius' time or a Roman legion
airy feel at home.
This was the first born" the sub
altern explained" the first thing we
could lay our hands on when the close
quarters trench warfare began"
II was out Of date. now, as grand
fathers smoothbore-the tin pot
bona v-l-ch both sides used early in
the winter A wick was attached to
the nigh explosive wrapped in cloth
and tuck in an ordinary army jam
can
Quite homemade, as you see, sir"
remarked the sergeant Used to fix
them up ourselves in the trenches in
odd hours-saved burying your refuse
jam tiEs according to medical corps
directiC--you threw them at the
Pockes- Have to use a match to light
-t--e-y oId-fashioned, sir. I wonder
= t-a5 old fuse has got damp. No, it's
inc n rio hfA I'D hn h.
jam pot which made good explosion.
But here is the best: we're dis
carding the others he went on as he
picked up another bomb.
1t was a pleasure to throw this
browning achievement of the expert
ments. 1t fitted your hand nicely; II
threw easily: it did the business; IT
was fOol-proof agaist man in love
or a warpOst.
I'VE saw as soon as this style came
out" said the sergeant, that it was
bound to be popular. Everybody asks
Tor it