American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1917-11-23

Scotch regiments In our corps, and
when they came out Of the trenches the
first time they created a great sensa-
tion In the town. Their kits were a
never falling source of establishment to
the Belgians. The woman in the house
where / was billeted thought that it
was cruel to make them wear the lit
tie dresses IN the cold weather. She
wanted to know what they wore IN
derneath them, and when I told her
that they wore nothing she wouldn't
believe me. | explained to her that II
was against orders for them to wear
trousers under the kilt. but still she re-
fused TO believe.
At this time bomb throwing was be-
coming more and more popular. and
besides using the hand bombs we were
using larger ones. which were thrown
by a catapault arrangement. They
could be thrown a long distance and
in many cases proved to be very ef-
fective. Bomb and grenade schools for
every division were opened. and the
men were trained to throw bombs
scientifically.
In some places we started using the
slingshOt arrangement with which the
French throw bombs. but it didn't turn
out as well for us as it did for them.
I saw n case in which the using of
one of these things was very disas-
trous. One Of our fellows put & bomb
In the sling and started swinging It.
AS he tried TO let it 90 the whole thing
hit the man standing next to him full
In the jaw. Of course it exploded and
killed several men who were standing
near. including the fellow who had
tried to throw it.
During an attack in the Menin trench
es ! saw an incident that l will never
forget. Our fellows had taken two
lines Of trenches in a very few min
utes. In some places there were Ger
mans occupying a part Of a trench
while we held the other part.
A big freshman came dashing up with
a load of bombs. and as he came for
ward I saw these Germans raise their
rifles to fire at him. The Irishman was
too quick for them, though. for be
chucked a bomb into the trench they
were in. and I heard his yell, "Splir
that between We, ye swine"
1t wiped out the whole crowd Of them,
of course. and the best part Of it was
that the Irishman didn't alter his stride
the least bit. The expression has be
come quite popular among "bombers."
We hadn't been in ~Poperinghe many
days before the German ~aeroplanes be-
gan coming over US. They didn't do
any damage at first. and 1 wondered
why they didn't drop any bombs. Ey-
cry morning about ) o'clock two or
three taubes would appear and fly
back and forth for a few minutes, and
then they would go away. and we
wouldn't see any more OF them until
the next morning at the same hour.
At last we got used to them, and they
didn't bother us at all. Once in awhile
our guns would bring one Of them 20
earth. and then there would be one
grand rush TO the place where the ma
chine had fallen. l saw one fellow fall
one morning. and as l had by motor
bike l hoped on and dashed down the
road to try and find him. He had come
to earth safely. but his engine had been
put out Of commission by a piece OF
shrapnel. He had set fire to the ma
chine and was calmly sitting on the
ground some distance from where it
was burning.
Some flying corps fellows were there
just a few seconds ahead of me. and
they made him prisoner. As he got to
his feet he remarked in perfect Eng
fish, Il had a presentiment that l