Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-02
PREFER TRENCHES
TO REST CAMPS.
British in Mesopotamia Grumble
When They Have to
Leave Front.
MAKE PETS OF ToRToIsEs.
One Animal That Died Solemnly
Laid to Rest With Identi-
LITIGATION Disc.

LONDON. July 1.--Writins from Abu
| Roman, AIcsopotamia. Edmund Gambler /
says that tho British in Mesopotamia
prefer tho trenches to their rest camps
and srumblc when they have to leave
tho front.
The battle OF TEL Orah. otherwise
known as FL Hannah or tho Suwaicha
Marsh. on January u. when we found
the Turks too strongly intrenched to
be dislodgcd by an attack In the open
was tho beginning OF trench warfare"
he says.
The conditions OF France we.o re-
peated In Mcsopotamia. and there wero
constant affairs of patrols. listening
posts. and pickets in No Mans Land
This phase was continued on the left
| bank for two and one-half months
from January 81. tho day OF tho battle
TIL we captured the position on tho
morning OF April >.
But the area covered by our trenches
was deeper than anything on the same
line OF front In Flanders. When our
| firing. line was within seventy yard.
! VI VIC CHtilS wire the
whole labyrinth of parallels and COM
munication trenches on 1,2oo-yard
| front was made up OF about sixteen
miles OF trench and sap work
| I'm France one was glad to be out
or the trenches into billets, but here
there were no resources to fall back
| on In camp-no luncheon parties
heard regiment that was going to
be relieved by another grumbIe at hay-
ing to pack up and move.
| in the trenches there was always
| tho mild excitement Of little sniping.
and the Turks never bothered us much
with their shells. When it raIned. of
course, one was glad to he back in
CAM. On our left was the river. on
our right the marsh. On the river
side one was little cramped In the
trenches but by the marsh there were
open spaces, dead ground whore one
could breathe the air and stretch ones
! legs.
by the end OF March tho lake had
encroached on tho Turkish position.
| flooding out 200 yards or more OF
trenches and leaving their wire en-
tanglements in tho water Ono could
| sit on the parapet here and enjoy tho
| view almost within hail of the enemy.
We were screened from frontal fire.
| and the ground on our right between
| us and tho water had become too dan
gerous for snipers.
AMUsE THEMSELVES
| CATCHING ToRTOIsEs
There were pools on tho marsh aide
OF the trenches In which the men used
| to bathe and catch tortoises. There
was little to do I'm the hours Off duty
when they were not digging or man
| ming ioopholes, and on active service
the British soldier amuses himself with
| strange pets He will catch and train
anything that comes to hand, from
bear cub to n cockchafcr and he does
not bother his head about the natural
| history OF the beast
TN Mesopotamia the tortoise Is tho
companion of his exile. When captured.
string Is tied to his leg, and he is
put over the parapet to craze. An
/ animal who died under this diet, the
pcnsioncr OF a Scot. was buried
solemnly with an Identification disc
There is nothing frivolous I'm the
nomenclature OF the trenches. which
begin with tho designation OF regiments
and brigades and as they approach
nearer the Turkish lines end In
climax OF patriotism with King street,
| queen Street. Prince Street and Elm
| peror Street
IN the neiEhborhood OF the marsh
there is finger post. To Kut' another
makes II two miles to Dundee iii.
cutting TO an ambulance is named
Harley Street
All this network OF streets and
habitation is empty now. deserted as
! Pompcif or Babylon. The men who
made them arc digging other mansions
Underground. The humors they have
written on the wall remain, but there
are none to read them save the In
! curious Arab"