Gilpin observer., 1915-07-22
HIS FIRST CHARGE
Britisher's Experience Of the
Realities of War.
Hesitated In Thick Of Battle at First
Opportunity to Take Human Life
-"Saw Red" When His Com
rade Was Shot Down.

Paris.-Lying In hospital here q
young British soldier who had been a
London broker few months ago, told
the story of his first bayonet charge.
never be well enough again to be sent
back to the front.
I'VE had gone into the trenches
round Ypres only q few days BEFORE"
he said, "and my first experience of
the realities Of war was to lie patiently
suffering an awful inactivity while the
artillery on both sides belched de-
struction on the men facing each
other In the trenches.
las dawn broke 1 felt an uncon-
trollable desire to climb out of the
trench into the open, but l knew 1t
was counting death. as l saw the next
moment. The man nearest me raised
his head above the parapet. and in an
instant was bagged by a sniper. He
rolled over with q stifled murmur, and
lay quite still with his face buried in
the soft red earth. l turned him over
and spoke to him. but he was dead.
with q hole in his forehead.
THE day passed fairly quiet until
dusk. when we received the order that
in an hours time we were to storm
one of the enemy's advanced positions.
The next hour seemed a lifetime. The
noise OF the bombardment swelled
louder and louder, but l hardly no
ticed 1t. The men around me showed
their emotions in their faces. Some
we're excited and showed an almost
exaggerated enthusiasm for the work
in hand. The majority were strangely
silent l can honestly say l felt no
actual fear. but l could not help re-
membering that In a short time our
numbers would probably be reduced
by half. and was prepared for the
worst.
In FIVE minutes the order would be
given and the thought of what was
coming made my blood boil. l. too.
became impatient to get out into that
stretch of open ground which separated
US from our goal. 1t was dark now,
and the enemy's searchlight began to
sweep our positions. Two more min
utes and we should leap from our
trenches.
The bombardment reached its
height, and with wild, vicious final
roar which seemed to open the
heavens 1t ceased. The moment had
arrived. The order was given, and
scrambling over the parapet. we
emerged into the shell-swept zone The
enemy's guns began to spit fire among
our ranks. but no one wavered. II we
had felt any fear It had now left us.
Men fell on all hands. but with yell
we rushed forward with barred steel
towards the raised ground.
Our artillery mad done its work
well. for we found the wire defenses
almost completely blown away. We
reached the enemy's trout trenches.
and l raised my bayonet as a big Ba-
varian made to fire at me.
Then something within me made
me hesitate. and comrade laid the
man out just In time. In the thick of
the fight 1t had Just dawned on me
that was about to take a human life
for the first time. and had felt q
momentary repugnance.
THE next instant. however. one of
our men next to me fell In heap and
bullet whizzed past my face. Then
/ knew what 1t was TO see red With
a yell bayoneted the German who
had shot the man, and had soon &C.
counted for three more. The place was
like a shambles. The German front
line trenches were filled with a heap
OF torn and bloody corpses and we
we're now attacking the rear trenches.
Then suddenly felt pain In my
shoulder. but rushed on. tried to
raise my rife, but found | could not,
and the next moment was hit stimuli.
taneously in the arm and the Jaw. Tho
pain was terrible. but as lay on ths
ground tried to shout for Joy. was
infected with the fever of our success,
for knew that the position was won.
Then lost consciousness and woke
] up In the field hospital"