Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-08-29

Preceding Lessons: l. Your Post OF
Honor , Making Good as Sol
der 3. Nine Soldierly Qualities
/ Getting Ready for Camp. ;. FIRST
Days in Camp. 6. Cleanliness in
Camp :. Your Health S. March.
ing and Care of Feet 9. Your
Equipment and Arms. 10 Recrea.
ton in Camp H. Playing the
Game - Team Work in the
Army 13. Groupug Men into
Teams H. The Team Leaders.
We have spoken so far as if all sol
diers. were infantrymen; that is. as
ii all fought on foot armed with rifle
and hayonet As we all know an army
is much more complex There are two
other fighting arms" Of the service.
Cavalry and the Artillery. These
three branches of the Army are some
times called The lin" A term which
comes down to Us from the day when
soldiers in battle We're always drawn
up in line The other branches to be
described later, are included under the
general term staff" However. the
Engineer Corps and the Signal CORPS
are in part troops OF the line. though
they are herein described for con.
yenIence under the heading of stan
branches Of the service
The Infantry is the backbone of the
Army 1T is the Infantry soldier who
must bear the greatest stress Of battle.
and war is more dependent for success
upon his individual action than upon
any other factor" BY far the largest
number OF men in the National Army
VIII go into the Infantry branch of the
service. In the present war the i'm
portance Of Infantry is even greater
than in previous wars.
The Value Of Infantry.
1t is not enough for Infantry to
know how to defend itself. 1t must
know also how to attack. 1t is not
enough that it should be able to move
forward in masses The Infantry sol
der must also have the intelligent self
reliance that will enable him to act
as an individual; always. of course.
within the limits of military dis
cipline
The chances for initiative in pres
entday warfare can best be illustrat.
Ell by recounting the story of Michael
OLeary lance corporal of the Irish
Guards in the British army On
February /, 1915. the Guards were or.
dered to retake a trench which had
been temporarily lost to the Germans
OLeary was off duty and need not
have Joined in the attack at all But
that did not stop him for a moment
from using his courage and his brains
to help his regiment win.
Jumping out of the trench he ran
at full speed to a railroad cut on the
right OF the first German line where
he was partly under cover from the
enemy's fire. With five shots in sue.
eession he killed or disabled five men
before his comrades reached the
trench. Not satisfied with this
aphipypu,nnt no rou ahead ,,,,,u /
came up from the railroad cut beside
the second German line Here was
machine gun The officer in command
had just pointed the gun at the Irish
Guards in the first trench and had his
finger on the firing button when he
was dropped by a Well-aimed bullet .
from OLeary's rife He shot two
other Germans who were attempting
to fire the machine gun. whereupon
the remainder of the squad threw up
their hands and surrendered
Thus It happened that when his I
company Of the Irish Guards reached I
the second line without the loss Of a I
single man they We're amazed to find |
OLeary ahead Of them in complete I
possession. He was made a sergeant (
on The field, and later given Vic. (
toria cross After other exhibitions f.
Of bravery and initiative the 25.year-
old soldier became Lieut. OLeary.
There is always an element of luck /
in such unusual achievements, but all .
the luck in the world is useless un. /