The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1917-09-14
Men Build Railroads and DUO
outs While Under Terrific
Fire Of Guns.
TROOpsPUT DOWNSTEELR ROAD
Diary Of Wounded Sapper Furnishes
Interesting Reading, Because 1t
Tells So Much Without AHy
Attempt at Flourish.

His company had been laying a line
owe what some time ago was mo
mans land" The British infantry had
moved forward and the guns, quick
firing and heavy. had followed up. Be
hind them again came railway troops,
putting down the steel road to facili-
tate the feeding Of the fighting troops.
This sapper had jumped into an old
German trench and had landed on q
slightly covered hand grenade, writes
Victor Mcclure in Chicago Daily
News. The grenade exploded. and
lamed him, with the result that after
a smooth journey to England he la
in bed in q London hospital.
He was a splendid type of sapper,
keen on his work, proud Of the achieve
ments of his fellows in France, glad
that ne had helped and conscious of
the value Of tie railways laid by the
plate-laying companies to the fighting
men proper. He had been In France
for IS months, unbroken except for
two short leaves in England. and dur
ing that time he had kept a diary. It
Is good reading, this sapper's diary. It
tells so much without flourish; it
shows than would a more schOl-
nrly report just how much had been
accomplished behind the lines in
France. It is written by a mar who
knows his work and who apparently is
always eager that that to which he
sets his hand should be done in rec
ord time and in workmanlike fashion.
Prepared for His Work.
He came to the army, as do so many
of the sappers in the new army, with
his trade ut his fingers ends, and more
than half his training done. The work
he did in France was not new to him.
The conditions were different-much
of the work was done within range of
the enemy's guns. Unlike most Of us,
whom the war found unprcpared. his
work was ready for him and he knew
how to carry It out. He spent a short
time in England until he knew what
every sapper must learn beside his
trade-hOw to fall into line at the
word of command. when to turn and
how to handle his rifle. Because the
corps of royal engineers Is popularity
supposed to be noncombatant-a mis-
take, be 1t said-there is hardly any
branch Of the service where infantry
drill is SO carefully instilled into the
men.
Sapper Blanks company arrived In
France in the early days of the war
and within a day of landing or French
soil had started work ION a big ord
nance yard. The company was there
about ten weeks. and there we were
joined by other r. Els"
Major Liked the Work.
The major addressed the men and
said how splendidly they had done the
job intrusted to them, and how much
he appreciated the way in which it
was carried out
Il am proud Of you, and I'M very
grateful to you NIL! he said. "You
are a credit to the corps to which you
belong and to the officers Of your CON-
pany. Go on, men. Do as you have
been doing, and always try to bear In
mind that no job is beneath you. You
are doing your bit by this plate-laying
and your work Is just as important as
filling a cannon or firing in the
trenches"
The diary next records a route march
in a way that reminds one Of Pepys.
The company Tad moved to another
place for n rest.
I'VE went for q route march to some
woods adjoining the town; we Lad q
pleasant time. picking primroses, etc.
Our officer reminded us that we should
probably look back on that time in If
ter. years, when we walked in the
peaceful woods. hearing the nightin-
gale singing, wnen away In the dis
lance we could hear the sound Of the
big guns firing In the terrible battle
that was raging ut Ypres." The battle
Of which the sapper talks was the