The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-12-26
Supplying Soldiers in Front
Ranks Requires Courage
of the Bravest.
OVER BODIES OF
DEAD COMRADES
Vivid Story of Such a Trip
Related by Member Parlia-
ment, Now in Army.
(By Associated Press.)

London, Dec. 25.-Carrying water
to the thirsty fighting men in the
front line trenches through double
barrage of bursting shells from both
British and German guns, while the
multi-colored flares from the German
trenches cast a weird light over a
shell-riven battlefield puts to test
the nerve and courage Of the brav-
est. Yet the work must be done
while the battle is in progress.
Stumbling over the bodies of dead
comrades or falling exhausted among
them, floundering through the mud
or into shell craters, the water-car-
rier yet must struggle on till he
releaves him of the task. A vivid
story of one such journey is told by
Victor Grayson, formerly a member
of the British parliament, now serv-
ing as a private in the British army.
81 found myself one of a party de-
tailed to carry up rations to the. front
line trenches through a dual bar
rage" he writes. 1--WE all knew that
the boys up the line were to hop
over at daybreak the following
morning, but we We're not aware un-
til our sergeant-major told US, that
they had been without rations for
twelve hours.
"As much as the mud would per-
nit, our pace was speeded up, and
we were soon in line upon the duck
boards, (board-walks laid in mud)
myself and my immediate compan-
ions each laden with two patrol tins
of water.
"The front line was about two
miles away. For the first part of
h,.srr oodo tho
IL avelling comparatively easy. But
suddenly the duck-boards ended. the
noon completely disappeared, and
the resulting darkness acted like
signal to the opposing batteries. The
air was torn with the howls and
shrieks of shells.
"It became a matter of Infinite
care and considerable skill to pick
pick our may between the deep shell
holes, which were sometimes so close
together as to be divided only by a
sloping ridge of less than foot in
width. The enemy was firing wild
and shells were exploding on all sides
with propinquity that made US in
duck our heads and wait
for the inevitable shower of dirt and
mud, or worse. Every now and then
a man would lose his footing, and
he and his cans would roll with a |
splash into a gaping shell hole.
"It seems inconceivable. even ir-
reverent, that one should laugh in
the midst of such horrors. But when
| saw my pal in front dart away
from a menacing shell-burst on the |
right, straight into the arms, so to |,
speak, of a muddy shell-hole on the |
left, / laughed till stitch came into !
my side.
'When we reached the support !,
trenches, a halt was called-not a |
too soon-for a rest. My +
water cans had become amazingly |
heavy, and all of >us were painting as
we crouched besides our comrades
who were waiting in the support i
trench. in reserve. l had recently I
suffered from a. cold, and I heartily /
wished that my journey might soon
end. After five minutes we started |
cut again. and the sergeant-maior |
set a pace that / knew / could not |
sustain. Gradually I felt myself |
falling behind, and every fresh effort |
to catch up with my party only |
served to increase my exhaustion and !
limit my breath. At last, with |
feeling of utter desoIation. I fell !
beside my cans. The flares revealed |
{Too%ip,,aI ~, D,