Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-04-19
German Trenches CHASTITY Pictures.

Now that the desperate episodes IN the
war known in history as the battle OF the
Somme have been definitely ended by
the German retreat from Arras TO the
Aisne, it has been possible more leisurely
TO investigate the conditions which ex-
listed along the German front just prior
to the backward swing 10 the So-called
Hlndenburg line.
When the retreat first began more than
a month ago, the British swept over some
old Somme positions held by the Germans
and even the most hurried glimpse OF the
evacuated trenches indicated how unten-
table they had become before The Germans
decided not to risk another Allied often
sive.
Pictures of ghastineSs which may
never be seen again in this or any other
war were revealed in the evacuated Sec
tors.
One realized with shudder how the
men doomed to live in these trenches
had been plagued by their own dead.
Such ceremony as decent burial had been
wholly out of the question and there was
no means of conveying the bodies to the
rear. 1t had been like passing through a
fiery rain from hadeS TO bring up food
and water TO the living. SO, the dead
had simply been tossed out OF the trenches
only to be blown back again by an ex-
ploding shell. Some times they came
back in fragments, for there were arms
and legs, feet and hands everywhere.
Occasionally graves had been dug in
the sides OF the trench itself, but the dead
could not rest there. AT frequent inter
walls the inevitable skeletons hand and
feet protruded from the trench walls.
Grim sights this war has had for the
men who passed UP and down those
trenches during the long and bitter nights
of winter.
1t has been an enthraling thing to
stand by the British guns in the last three
or four months and wonder what was the
meaning of their continuous roar. There
was no set battle ir progress and the
gunners said it was merely "the daily
hate" going to keep Fritz unhappy. The
hdeous revelations OF the German trench
es, however, gives the gruesome answer
TO what the guns were doing. In some
places there were simply mangled masses
OF what were once human beings. Neither
by day nor by night had the Germans
rest. Their trusted barbed wire, in which |
they had always placed S sIch great reli-
ance, had been swept so completely they |
dared not venture out to repair it.
All trace OF communication trenches
leading TO the front lines were wiped out
and it had been necessary to bring up |
supplies and relief at night over coun-
try blown into endless shell holes, many |
OF which were filled to such depth with |
water that men were drowned in them,
while bits OF broad tape could be seen
here and there attached TO the iron posts.
These were for the purpose OF guiding |
the men up TO the front line.
These pathways over the fields OF
death also were strewn with fragments
OF human podies. Some OF the dead had
the looks OF mummies. One OF the fallen
soldiers had his right arm thrown over
his rifle as if his last impulse was to pro-
tect this weapon OF defense. But there
was no defense against the constant she'll
ing. Some pieces of metal thrown about
by the high explosive shells must have
weighed at least 10 pounds S-the result OF
hitting man with l0-pound bullet can
easily b. imagined.