Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-08-14

lluC IkCuSACo LII 4CASAoAA
We relieved the Twenty-sixth
Canadian battalion. Scouts from that
organization came back to the villages
of Dinkiebusch and Renninghelst to
tell US how glad they were to see rs
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 due strangers-that Is,
one Of them. leading q platoon, would
say:
"Next 200 yards in machine gun
range. Keep quiet, don't run and be
ready to drop quick II you are warned"
There was one scout to each platoon,
and we followed him single file, most
Of the time along roads or well worn
paths, but sometimes through thickets
and ragged fields. Every now and then
the scout would yell at us to drop.
and down we'd 60 on our stomachs,
while away of In the distance We
could hear the output" Of machine
guns, the first sound Of hostile firing
that had ever reached our ears.
"It's all right" said the scout
'They haven't seen us or got track OF
US. They're Just firing Oh 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 Dinkiebusch. The men OF
the Twenty-sixth battalion spent the
rest of the night instructing US and
then left us to hold the position. We
were as nervous as a lot Of cats, and
It seemed to me that the Germans
must certainly know that they could
come over and walk right through US.
but outside of a few casualties from
sniping, such as the one that befell
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
lob. We held the position for twenty
six days, which Is the longest period
that any Canadian or British organiza-
ton has ever remained In q front line
trench.
In none of the stories I've read have
I ever seen trench fighting as 1t was
carried on In Belgium adequately DE-
scribed. You see, you can't get much
of an idea about thing like that max
ing a quick tour of the trenches under
official direction and escort as the
newspaper and magazine writers DO.
couldn't undertake to tell anything
worth while about the big issues OF the
war. but I can describe how soldiers
have to learn to fight In the trenches,
and think a good many OF our young
fellows have that to learn now. over
there" they don't talk OF peace OF
even of tomorrow. They sit back and
take 1t.
We always held the fire trench %
lightly as possible, because 1t Is .
demonstrated fact that the front ditch
cannot be successfully defended In Z
determined attack The thing we did
and the thing to do is to be ready TO
iump on to the enemy as soon as ne
has got into your front trench ana Il
fighting on ground that you know ano
he doesn't and knock SO many KINDS
of tar out of him that he'll have to pull
his load for a spot that isn't 30 warm.
That system worked first rate with us,
During the day we had only. q very
few men in the fire trench. II an at.
tack Is coming In daylight there's al
ways plenty of time to get ready for
II. At night we kept prepared for
trouble all the time. We had night
sentry on each firing step and q man
sitting at his 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
to leave post on any excuse whateves
during their two hour spell" Of duty
Hanging on a string, at the elbow Of
each sentry on the fire step was I
siren whistle or an empty shell cast
and bit Of iron With which to ham
mer on 1t. This, whichever 1t NIGH
be. was for the purpose Of spreading
the alarm In case Of Q gas attack
Also we bad sentries IN '1istsninl
posts" at various points from twent,
30 iifty yards out In mo Mans Land.
These men blackened their faces b
fore they went ''over the top" and thez
lay In shell holes Or natural hollows
There was always two Of them, Q bay
onet man and . bombsr. From th'
listening post Z wire ran back to t.
Ore trench to b used in signaling. u
the trench Z man sat with this w1r'
wrapped around his hand. One pul
meant sAll o. X two puIlA IN
coming in.s three pulls ~Nnsuy b
sight" ana feur pullA ''sound ~
alarm .Ths 6rs stsp h Z trench =
shelf On which soldiszB stand tp 1ool
cut and sheet bstweea - eaa1 ~
|a tA
sf's.7.' +,