The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1916-11-08
DAYS IN A TANK
Routine But Bloody Adventures On One
of England's Gasoline Warriors.

A young Australian soldier has con
tributed to the Manchester Guardian
his week diary of work inside a tank
during the fighting. The experience,
he remarks, was not altogether pleas
ant at first, tank-sickness being as bad
as sea-sickness until you get used to-
them. His initial trip was on Mon
day, and he wrote: "Out for the first
time. Strange sensation. Worse than
being in q submarine. At first unable
to see anything, but imagined lot.
Bullets began to rain like hailstones on
a galvanized roof at first, then like a /
series of hammer blows. We passed |
| through it all unscathed. Suddenly we :
gave terrible lurch. [ thought we |
were booked through. Lookout said |
we were astride an enemy trench. Give |
| them hell, was the order. We gave
them it. Our guns raked and swept |
trenches right and left. Got peep at |,
| frightened Huns. 1t was grimly hui |
morous. They tried to bolt like scared |
rabbits, but were shot down in punches
before getting to their burrows. Ma |
chine guns brought forward. Started
vicious rattle on our hide Not the
least impression was made. Shells be-
gan to burst. We moved on and over
took some more frightened Huns. Cut
their ranks in ribbons with our fire.
They ran like men possessed. Officer
tried to rally them. They awaited our
coming for awhile. AS soon as our
guns began to spit at them they were
off once more. Infantry rounded them
up, and survivors surrendered. Very
curious about us. Stood open mouthed
and wide-eved watching, but weren t
much the wiser The following day he
refers to the Germans thus: Silly
blighters thought they could rush the
tank like they would a fort. Dashed
up from all sides We fred at them
point blank. Deviiish plucky chaps
some of them for all their madness The
survivors had another try. We spat at
them venomously. More of them went
down.
On the Wednesday the soldier found
ample cause for amusement. He writes:
Party of Huns came to meet us out
side the village. Very stout old gen
tleman in front. Thought it was the
mayor and village big-pots to give us
, a civic welcome Mistaken. They
meant to give warm reception, but not
as we understood the word. Let fly
with machine-guns Then tried silly
guns answered theirs. Tank reception
committee dispersed in cloud of smoke
and flame; no trailing clouds of glory.
Fat old gentleman only visible member
of deputatiOn. Stood open mouthed
| Purple with rage. Tank bore down.
Old gent started to run. Funnier than a
: sack race Old gent flung himself to
earth with many signs of surrender. -
Another humorous incident attending
the tour of this tank was when more of
: the enemy were being routed and
+ patches of them surrendered. Zone
cheeky chap remarks the writer,
I . said he did not think it was fair to
2 fight with such things We said that
- was our affair, and we could stand the
S racket Germany cared to make over
. it. Asked one chap if he thought we
5 should have got permission from the
i Kaiser before using them Didn t see
the joke. Later, the Australian
5 speaking of an intended German sur
: prise, says: 1--WE tried a surprise, too
l. and ours came off first Huns weren 7
3 pleased. Didn't think it was playing
5 the game according to Potsdam rules
6 We waddled into their ambush for the
attacking troops. Never saw men SO
+ frightened. Fled panic-stricken in all
t directions. Only a few chaps stayed
l. behind and tried to stop us by machine
+ gun fire. Smashed them to bits, and
n left their machine-guns to be picked up
It by the Gorkshiremen they hoped to
surprise.