The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-12-14
WINTER FIGHTING
GREAT HARDSHIP
CALLS FOR BRAVERY
OF UNUSUAL NATURE
British Have Provided Their
Men With Warm Clothes
Get MANY Meals

WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN
FRANCE, via London, Dec. IS, $40
p. M.-(From a staff correspondent of
theS Associated Press)-Several hours
of glorious December sunshine this
morning brought glad relief from a
week of dreary days and sent scores
Of airplanes and observation balloons
aloft and quickened the pulse Of the
entire British army organization on
the western front. But before the day.
light had ended leaden clouds had
again shut in. the rain had begun to
fall and there was somewhat gloomy
return to the wintry, weather-beaten
warfare.
The wintry fighting is fraught with
manifold hardShipS and calls for braV-
cry and determination far above that
ordinarily required to face the shot
and shell of battle. 1t is bravery
against unceasing attacks of the ele-
ments, against the numbing influence
of the frost, against the bleak blast Of
rain-laden winds and against the cling
ing, holding mud of the shell ploughed
battlefields and oftentimes water.
soaked front line trenches.
1t is difficult for one who has not
seen the conditions that apply to
winter advance over ground that has
been the theatre of some of the bitter
appreciate the conditions which the
have overcome and still are conquer
ing.
But the task of carrying on" over
this ever widening stretch of what
once was appropriately called mo
Mans Land" when it lay between the
opposing front lines, has been accom-
plished. Heavy sheepskin and leather
coats and packets have been issued to
the men and warm and dry rest bill
let's provided for those on the support
reserve positions.
Gets Five Meals Day.
Best Of all, however, tommy in the
front line gets five hot meals daily.
There Is breakfast at seven, dinner
at u, tea at five and soup or stew at
nine and again at o'clock IN the
morning.
From reports received from German
prisoners and observations made dur.
ing raids the British have discovered
that conditions on the German front
are very different. Along most of the
new lines formed by the battle Of .he
Somme the German front trenches are
merely broken stretch of linkcd-up
shell holes, with no deep dugouts and
only a few improvised hiding holes
where two or three men can take COW
er from the shrapnel.
British reports from the Somme sec
tion say the German communication
trenches are impossible from mud
and the shelling of the British guns,
so that all the carrying of supplies
and the bringing up Of relief. have to
take place over the open, without COW
er OF any kind. This is why the Brit
ish guns, continue to hurl shells back
Of the German lines ip the fog. and
rain. There are no floor boards or
other trench comfort available for the
Germans owing to the unceaSing hre
Of the British artillery.
Thus far this winter, German pris-
oners say their troops In the west
have not been supplied with any
sheepskin, leather or fur coats. They
have received only wooden vests. body
bands and mittens. Normally prison
crs say they are supposed to be IN
the trenches not more than from tour'
teen to eighteen days. but some al'ls-
ions lately however were there 1orty
days and over without relief. RauonS
consist almost wholly OF timed meat,
sausage, herring. sardlnes. rice rye
bread, coffee and mineral waters. Re'
Gently a daily ration of brandy has
heen issued TO the men in the front
line