The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-17

Wv trout line trenches In Belgium
we relieved the Twenty-sixth
Canadian battalion. Scouts from that
organization came back TO the villages
cf Dinklebusch and Rennlnghelst To
tell us how glad they were to see us
and To show Us the way In. As, we
proceeded overland. before reaching
the communication trenches at the
front. these scouts paid US the hospita.
BILE attention cue strangers--that is.
one or them. leading a platoon, would
say:
Next 20 yards I'm machine gun
range. Keep quiet, don't run and he
really to drop quick IL you are warned"
There was one scout TO each platoon,
and we followed hlp single file. most
OF the time along roads or well worn
paths, but sometimes through thickets
and rugged HelG3. Every now and then
the scout would yell at us to drop.
and down we'd so on our stomachs.
while away or In the distance we
could hear the ''put-put'' of machine
guns. the hrst sound OF hostile firing
that liad ever reached our ears.
Its all right" said tho scout.
They haven't seen Us or got track Of
ns They're Just firing ON suspicion"
Nevertheless. when our various pla-
toons had all got into the front reserve
trenches, at about two hours after mid
night. We learned that the first blood
OF our battalion had been spilled. Two
men had been wounded, though neither
fatally. Our own stretcher bearers
took our wounded back to the field
hospital at Djnkiebusch. The men Of
the Twenty-sixtb battalion spent the
rest OF the night instructing US and
then left us To hold the position. We
we're as nervous as lot OF cats. and
II seemed to me that the Germans
must certainly know that they could
come over ard walk right through us,
but outside of a few casualties from
sriping. such as the one that bcfell
The Fourteenth platoon man. which
have told about. nothing very alarming
happened the first day and night. and
by that time We had got steady on our
Job. We held the position for twenty.
six days. which Is the longest period
that any Canadian or British organiza-
tiOn has ever remained In a front line
trench
In none OF the stories I've read have
I ever sect trench lighting as II was
carried OF I'm belgium adequately de-
scribed. You see. you can't get much
OF un idea GUout thing like that MAX
INF quick tOdr OF the trenches under
official dlTecnon and escort as the
newspaper and magazine writer's do
I couldn't undertake TO tell anything
worth while about the big issues OF the
war. but I can describe how coliiers
have 20 learn 10 flgat In the trenches
and think gUod many OF our young
fellows have that TO learn now. "Over
there" they don't talk OF peace CT
even OF tomorrow. They sit back and
take IL.
We always held the tlre trench as
lIshtiy as possible. because 1t Is a
demonstrated fact that the front ditch
cannot be successfully defended In a
dctcrmlned attack The thing we did
and the thing TO do Is to be ready to
Jump on 10 the enemy as soon as he
has got into your front trench and Is
hghtiug on ground that you know ard
he doesn't and knock so many kinds
OF tar out on him that he'll have 10 pull
his load for spot that isn't so warm
That system worked first rate with us.
During the day we had only a very
few men I'm the fire trench. If an at
tack Is coming In daylight there's nj
ways plenty OF time to get reaGy for
u. AT nlgnt We kept prepared for
trouble all the tlIne. We had n nignt
sentry on each firing step and q man
sitting nc bis feet to watch him to see
he wasn't secretly sniped. Then we
had a sentry In each bay, Of the
trench TO take messages.
Orders didn't permit the man on the
firing step or the man watching him
~ leave post ON any excuse whatever