The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-06-23
VAST ACTIVITIES IN CAMPS OF
BRITISH BEHIND FIGHTING LINE
Thousands Upon Thousands of Motor Lores in Constant
Streams Supply Fighters at Front With Munions-Brish
Flying Corps Enjoy Most Thrilling Experiences
of Any Soldiers in France

his returning. But To these dauntlesS
I young fcllOwS-mOSt of them are quite
yOunS-aviatiOn with all its deadly
risks is the grandeSt sport ever con-
| ceived by man.
They 20 out to seek battle, in de-
| faint challenge to all the most per-
fected BOche resources of defense and
attack, and they undoubtedly meet the
most wonderful and thrilling individ-
ual experiences of any men engaged
in this war. No sooner do they get
within range of the German lines
than shrapnel begins to burst all
around them.
In the distance the Shrapnel bursts
seem to be in bunch so close to the
plane that you hold your breath with
anxiety, expecting to see il dashed to
the earth. But these young sports
men are skilled as well as dauntless
They maneuver with amazing cool
ness amid the missiles hurled at them,
and as the British now have machine
That gives no points to the best the
Boche can put in the air either In
swiftneSs or hardness, they extricate
themselves from what seems like GER
tain death time after time.
Presently British shrapnel puffs
were to be seen bursting slightly to
our left. and away up at tremen-
dOus height. so that it looked like
white pigeon, Boche plane was dis
covered in the blue between the fly
ing clouds. 1t looked to be flying at
twice the altitude the British aviators
reached when taking their hazardous
course over the German lines.
As the shrapnel was scattered on
all sides Of 1t and two British planes
were rapidly making their way up
ward to engage it. the BOche plane !
dashed into cloud and was lost for |
a minute. Then it emerged again.
coming right over our heads, and as
the shrapnel puffs continued to pur-
sue it We found 1t prudent, though we
had our steel helmets on, to place our
selves conveniently to a former Hun
dugOut in case the splinters came our
way.
German Filler FIees.
The situation had now evidently be-
come too hot for the taste of the
German f1ier. especially as three Brit
lsh planes were approaching. so he
turned about and plunged behind a
great cloud and made his way home
ut least we did not catch sight of him
any more.
This was the only Boche plane that
came within reach or ventured over
The British line during the couple of
hours we were on the battlefield, while
n the same time British planes were
sailing over the German positions in
he teeth of death every few minutes.
On this battlefield we visited the
,nly disabled tank that was to be
ound, though the Germans seem to
lave claimed several. The cause of
is disablement was plain. 1t was not
lirect German gun-fire, but such a
are complication of deep craters and
uptured trenches that its travelling
lands could find no sufficient hold, so ,
hat it was forced to a standstil.
The track of its caterpillar feet
vas visible for hundreds of yards ,
ack, and the obstacles it Overcame p,
eemed hardly less formidable than
hose that proved its undoing. 1t ,
Doked as if a twenty -foOt-down Ger .
nan dugout. already penetrated by ,
srittCh Chnll fro ho L.
IS weight. /,
Every tank has his day, and this :
ne evidently ended up in the thickest
the fight, judging by the frightfully a
condition of the ground all ;
round it. Full justice has been done
the cinema to these grotesque i'm 9
|