Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-21
Mercy. kamerad!"

rear, anu Lu6 ludu WIN lC|CANcu thS1A
from me chuckled and told them to
move lively. The German trenches
were practically just as we had ex-
pected to find them, according to our
sample. They were so nearly similar
to the duplicate section in which we
had practiced that we had no trouble
finding our way in them. I was just
thinking that really the only tough
part Of the Job remaining would be
getting back across No Mans Land
when It seemed that the whole earth
behind me rose in the air. For mo-
rant I was stunned and half blinded
by dirt blown into my face. When 1
was able to see I discovered that all
which lay behind me was a mass OF
upturned earth and rock, with here
and there a man shaking himself or
scrambling out Of 1t or lying still
Just two minutes after we went into
their trench the Germans had explod-
ed mine under their parapet. I have
always believed that In some way or
another they had learned what spot
we were to raid and had prepared for
us. Whether that's true or not, one
thing is certain-that mine blew our
organization, as we would say in Ken
lucky, plumb to hi" And 1t killed
or disabled more than half Of our
party.
Great Confusion.
There was much confusion among
those of us who remained on our feet.
Some one gave an order to retire, and
some one countermanded 1t. More
Germans came out Of their dugouts,
but instead of surrendering as per our
original schedule they threw bombs
among us. 1t became apparent that
we would be killed or captured II we
stuck there and that we wouldn't get
any more prisoners. I looked at my
wrist watch and saw that there re-
mained but five minutes more OF the
time which had been allotted for our
stay in the trench, so blew my whis-
tie and started back. I had seen Pri-
vate Green (No. 177,25s) knocked down
by bomb in the next section, and I
picked him up and carried him out
over the wrecked parapet I took shell
ter with him In the first shell hole, but
I found that he was dead and left him
there. A few yards farther back to-
ward our line found Lance Corporal
Glass in shell hole with part Of his
hip shot away. He said he thought he
could get back If I helped him, and I
started with him. Private Hunter,
who had been In neighboring shell
hole, came to our assistance, and be-
tween US Hunter and I got Glass to
our front trench.
We found them lining up the survtv.
ors Of our party for a roll call. That
showed so many missing that Major
Lewis, formerly of the Montreal Star,
called for volunteers to go out in No
Mans Land and try to find some OF
our men. Corporal Charleson, Private
Saunders and went out. We brought
In two wounded, and we saw number
of dead, but on account Of their black.
ened faces were unable to recognize
them. The scouts later brought In sew
eral bodies.
OF the sixty odd men who had start
ed In our party forty-three were found
to be casualties-killed, wounded or
missing. The missing list was the
longest. The names Of those men were
marked I'm. b. H." (missing; believed
killed. on our rolls. I have learned
since that some few Of them have been
reported through Switzerland as pris-
oners Of war In Germany, but most OF
them are now officially listed as dead.
All of the survivors Of the raiding
party were sent twenty miles to the
rear at Z o'clock, and the noncommis-
stoned officers were ordered to make
reports In writing concerning the en-
tire raid. I never slept more than an
hour at q time for several days and
nights. 1 would doze of from sheer
exhaustion and then suddenly find my.
self sitting straight up, scared half to
death all over again.
There may be soldiers who won't
get scared when they know they are
In danger or even when people are be-
ing killed right around them, but I'm
not one Of them. And I've never met
any Of them yet. know a boy who
won the military cross In the battle Of
the somme, and l saw him on bis
knees before his platoon commander
shamelessly crying he was coward
and begging to be left behind, just
when the order to advance was given.
In this war in every offensive, big
| or small, the man who has been train
ed to throw bomb thirty yards Il
buster and more important than tn,
fellow with the modern rifle, which
| will shoot mile and half and mak'
hole through a house. In q goot
many surprising ways this war hal
carried US back to first principles.
remember a crusaders mace which
once saw In the British museum tina
would make a bang up knob kerrte
| much better than the kind with whtc|
they arm Qys No 4 men N a loidipl