The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-08-03

,
at last"
him. Within sight of the spot where
he sat wondering he later fell in action
and died. The scene which so I'M
pressed him gave us all feeling OF
great awe. Great shells from a thou
sand guns were streaking and crisis
crossing the sky. Without glasses
counted thirty-nine of our observation
balloons. Away off in the distance
saw one German captive balloon. The
other aircraft were uncountable. They
were everywhere. apparently in hun
dreds There could have been no more
wonderful panorama picture of war in
its new aspect.
Our battalion was in and out of the
town of Albert several days waiting
for orders. The battle of Courceette
was then in progress. and the First.
Second and Third Canadian divisions
were holding front positions at terri
BILE cost. In the first part of October.
1916, we went in opposite the fla
nous Regina trench. The battle-ground
was just miles and miles of debris and
shell holes. Before we went to our
position the officers and non-coms
were taken in by scouts to get the lay
of the land. These trips were called
Cooks tours" On one of them
went through the town of Poizers
twice and didn't know it. 1t had a
population OF 10000 before the war
On the spot where it bad stood not
even a whole brick was left, it seemed
Its demolition was complete. That
was an example of the condition of the
whole country over which our forces
had blasted their way for ten miles
since the previous July. There were
not even landmarks left.
The "Cook's Tour"
On the night when we went in to in
spect the positions we were to hold, our
scouts, leading us through the fat des
ert of destruction, got completely turn
ed round and took US back through
trench composed of shell holes con-
nected up until we ran into battal-
ion of another brigade. The place was
dreadful beyond words. The stencil
Of the dead was sickening. In many
places arms and legs of dead men
stuck out Of the trench walls.
We made fresh start after our blum
der, moving In single file and keeping
In touch each with the man ahead of
him. We stumbled along in the dark
ness through this awful labyrinth until
we ran into some of our own scouts
at a. N. and found that we were
halfway across No Mans land. sew
eral hundred yards beyond our front
inc and likely to be utterly wiped out
Il twenty seconds should the Germans
tight US. Fine guides we had on this
Cooks tour" AT last we reached
,ur proper position. and fifteen min
ties after we got there whiz-bang, a
ow explosive murderer. buried me
They had to dig me out |
l few minutes later high explosive |
hell fell in a trench section where |
hree of our men were stationed. All !
We could find after it exploded were /
ne arm and one leg. which we buried.
he trenches were without trench |
1ats. and the mud was from six inches
0 three feet deep all through them.
here were no dugouts. only merely
Miserable funk holes" dug where it
yas possible to dig them without I'M
overing dead men. We remained in
his position four days. from the 18th
} the DIST of October, 1916
There were reasons. of course. f0r
le difference between conditions In
elgium and on the Somme. On the
omme we were constantly preparing
,r a new advance. and we were only
established on ground
hich we had but recently taken after
ng drumming with big guns. The
enches were merely shell holes con
scted by bitches. Our old and ubiqui-
MS and variously useful friend. the
ndbag. was not present In any ca
lcity. and therefore we had no para