Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-14
BRITISH RETAIN
SENSE OF HUMOR
Even Germans and Rigors of
War Can't Take That Away
From Them.
TOUCH OF LIFE AT FRONT
Young Officer, in CHEEKY Letter,
Describes What Men Are
Undergoing.

LONDON, February I3.--Dcspi,c the
rigors OF a winter campaign, the Brit
ish in Flanders manage to retain that
national sense Of humor which Rud-
yard Kipling thinks is a world mo-
nopoly OF his countrymen. Here Is an
example OF this cheerfulEcss In let
Ter written by young officer at the
front:
Just after finishing OFF that letter
TO you. - came in TO say lac had an
interesting little job on. lie was TO
get through after dark TO an infantry
battalion with which headquarters had
loft touch. owing. IL vas thought. TO
the telephone wires having been cut by
she'll IRE. and To tel! their Z. O. il this
happened again. he was to keep up
communication by orderly. whatever
the risk
soon after - had left the major
came In and said | was TO try ana
catch him up and go with him. and
then IL We found the battalion he was
looking for. was TO go further on
10 another battalion and give them the
same message, and hnd out as much As
could as to their wants In the way OF
material for improving the trenches
Il went OF on my gee. with an or
DERBY TO bring her back when ! had
caught up -. who was on foot. and
soon overlook him. We had a long
walk together through the dark over
the most vile roads, which were badIy
knocked about by shell iirc
WOODS ARE PREFERRED
PRETTY CONTINUOUSLY
Tine Germans, and We, too OF course.
pepper the main roads pretty con,inu-
ously during the day Just 20 make II
ipt. al
We had luck, for we stumbled into
crowd OF men who were going IN to
relieve some Of the people - and |
was looking FOR. SO he went on with
them. and | stumbled on hoping TO
come across somebody who could guide
me TO my battalion
Ny luck was in. FOR almos; the first
man / met was his way 10 their
headQuarters--a sergeant VINO had been
back to arrange about rations de-
iiGhtful Irishman. who was as merry
as sandboy, and who RECALLED me with
long winded yarns %: their doings in
thearsrches until we got near up, and
It was unWise TO laugh too loud
III was piece Of luck, because when
| started out Oh this mission ] was
quite sure was going TO he in a
devil OF "A funk. and when 1, was all
over ] was mighty surprised with my
seit 10 ma nad been much too in
te-ested and amused by the lrishman
really TO take /, In that there were
bullets buzzing about, and /, really
didn't seem much worse than digging
trenches on the hills with some OF our
fellows making rotten bad shots at
the targets on the range nearby
Our way led through village.
Such an abomination OF dcsolation !
have never seen. II had been sholled
TO blazes. The most depressing sight
imaginable but the piles OF brick and
masonry were rather comforting. for
II was just mere that things began 10
liven up. We had to take n track
across open fields after leaving the
village. and it was then that We really
stopped talking.
The Germans have nasty habit
OF buzzing UP magnesium flares every
half minute or so, that light up the
ground around. You can see them
coming along. however. and all one
does Is to stoop down and stand stock
still until the glare dies down then
move on Till the next one comes along
We passed three old derelict Lon
non motor busses. which lie on their
sides. only few yards behind our
lines. They serve a beastly German
sniper as an excellent mark. and he
snipes down that patch about every
thirty seconds. so regularly that our
Fellows call him old clockwork.' and
they have all vowed to square his ac-
count as sooE as they spot him.
One rather hurries past those buses.
and then takes a dive over a brick
barrier into what was once, ! should
say, rather fine farmhouse 1t is now
tumble OF brickwork and timber
which affords some shelter. 1t was
pitch black inside, and | was at once
collared by some one and asked my
business.
DOWN FLIGHT OF STAIRS
INTO ILL-sMELLING DUNGEON
'All being o. K. was shuff,ed
across to the far corner, n flap door
was pulled up. and ] tumbled down n
flight OF stairs into the most evil-smell-
ing, stuny dungeon. Once the wine
cellar. II now served the purpose of n
ready-made splinter proof. and the
headquarters of the people | was look
Ing for. The place was dimly lighted
81 roof about four feet six inches above
the floor, an atmosphere, phew.-well.
1T was indescribable. and chocka-
block with officers and men sitting
around on chairs, some giving or talk
ms reports, some eating their rations,
others attending TO the telephone. and
all trying to avoid moving about as
much as possible for fear OF Stirring
up the drain as they told mo
THE floor was roughly planked over
but underneath were some inches OF
evil-smelling liquid. gave my mes
sage to the G. o.. gathered as mucb
information as ] possibly could from
the various officers from the different
parts OF their trenches, and then felt
FREQ to have drink tsomc most rim
ping sloe gin) and q crack with some
OF the fellows. They hadn't had many
casualties-sevcn killed and seven
wounded.-a bit of bad lucl<--six killed
at one fell swoop by high explosive
shell. that landed right in the trench.
After EARNING away for n bit longer
CONTINUED on Seventh Page.)