The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1917-12-30

l have kept few small things, as
shell nose-cap and timing fuse, Eng
fish, French and German small arms
ammunition. Did have several bay
Cnets but chucked them Kept q
6ne brass lamp found in an Cd Ger
man dug-out-(made in Berlin) /
also have kept a piece of shell case
from high explosive shell which
burst a bit above and one to the $500
burst bit above and to one side of
me. This piece Of jagged steel a
bout the size of finger imbedded it's
self couple of feet in front of me
and when picked up was too hot to be
held tightly 1t sounds almost like
2 small shower to hear the pieces
dropping about Now and then a
small shell would "plunk" into a
small body of water close by and send
up a beautiful fountain of mud and
water Have also kept a piece of gas
she'll which burst with several others
almost in the door way of our bug out
did have a number of good sized
pieces with some of the stuff still on,
but was advised to throw them away
| don't believe that | mentioned
that we were g''assed" on two sue
ceessive nights. 1t did little harm
but was a bit annoying, especially
because we felt so luxurious in a big
roOmy well made dug-out, fitted with
electricity and comfortable cots.
you see | am enc of Headquarters
officers and so usually get ofDest
to be had).
Fritz started about 2 a. m. and aain-
ed gas shells about us until 4:30 a. N.
| woke up coughing choking and
sneezing and my eyes burning and
soon was gasping before l realized
what was up. The Captain in the
pacc bl1p1y .XO1xo IN about {l,o co,,,o
lime and we both Jumped and waken
ed the other four officers and all hur
ridly put on our gas masks and res
porators. A great relief that We
get it before the sentry called us be
cause among the first shells LANDED
almost in our door way The Colone
and l went outside to see what was
doing and there seemedto be a muddy
mist hanging about The shells were
coming off in very rapid succession
several passing at almost the same
time A gas shell makes quite
different sound in the aria sort
wierd "whir-r-r-r" and a muffled ex
plosion. There seemed to be a con
start stream of them That little
fun must have cost Fritz several
marks. We all went back to bee
with our gas masks and respirator;
on and when aroused sometime later
by the sentry call-"all clear.
The next night Fritz repeatd his
performance, but this time we were
waiting for him. l mean we closed
up the entrances with gas curtains
to keep it out and did it fairly. We
only wore masks fCrty-five minute
instead of two and one half hour
altho bombardment lasted nearly a
long as before. 1t was quite an inter
esting experience. No serious cases
resulted, and I'd call the lombard
ment a rank failure as far as damage
to us was concerned. l got con sid
erably more of it than the Captain
next to me and yet he was bit sicl
the next day and | was not A nun
Der OF US had coughs and a Tightening
in the chest for a week or more but
it SENS to wear off. Have much
more respect for the mask than be
FORE also the respirator.
l am one of the Headquarters
Staff as medical officer to a Battalion
1t is very interesting job, for you &C
everywhere the battalion goes and
sometimes get right into the thick 0,
things. We go with the front line
for certain length OF time and come
out sgain for rest and so on. When
in town for rest our billets are