The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-11-09
now II FEELS TO
Be BURIED Alive
British Officer Relates a Hair
Raising Experience.
THOUGHT HE Was BLINDED

SSesunteers to Carry Message From
,First-Line Trenches to Headquar-
zters and Is Buried by Explosion OF
I n Sheli-Rescued by Chance and
ANounded on Way to Hospital.
Have you ever been buried alive?
-Bss3 Well, it isn't pleasant expert
~ence. 1t Is only by the merest luck
that 1 am able to tell you what it
,See2s like"
lieutenant -, the British avia-
zapG, was talking. The experience he
lelated was one he had while he was
atM in the infantry.
I'VE were rather hard-pressed up
I'M the first line, and it was decided
that some one must carry message
through the communicating trenches
~:aS Headquarters. All the officers vol
zRzteered for the service. Four OF Us
-tweee chosen by lot. The Boches were
sAelling the communicating trenches
iRith hellish fire, so it looked like
dangerous business. The four OF US
were to take different routes through
4Ae trenches on the chance that one
Gf us would get through; the others
wen, good luck to them.
Take Different Routes.
Two of US were to go to certain
point, where the communicating
trenches divided in a W There we
were to separate, one taking the
slgnt-hand trench and one the left.
Chick Dalrymple, boy from To
1unte, went with me. He waved to
ae as we separated.
81 started off, crouching low in the
eGrench. Before I had gone very far
there was flash. Then didn't know
anything for while. Dalrymple got
Ito headquarters; so did one Of the
N&her men. They saw that was
missing and thought probably had
got IL on the way.
~Dalrymple was ordered to take e
eanpany Of men up through the trench
through which had passed for the
relief of the men holding the front
,sNaae. All the way he kept sharp eye
vsut for me. Near the point whene,we
zad separated he came upon a great
Nsae Of dirt in the trench. 1t was a
1nzfter of taking his men over the top
srR 81, which would have been as dam
seRens as taking them through an
sgpen field, or else having the mound
semoved.
~He set his men to work with shov-
-eas. At the bottom Of the pile he came
Hpen my left foot. I had been buried
sy a shell that had burst just along
side the trench as I was passing
froagh It. had been under there for
nearly two hours. They say I couldn't
iAsve been, but am ready to swear
was conscious most Of the time.
Ut was the trench mat at the bot
esem OF the trench that saved my life.
IAe trench mat is kind Of boardwalk
aaid along the bottom Of the trench,
sHith.a few inches between the mat and
sshe ground.
Thought He Was Blinded.
~T had fallen face down on the mat
aznd had breathed the air between the
7Suards and the water underneath.
when I first regained consciousness
Thought I was blind. I could family
1aear the explosion Of shells, but
<rouldn't see anything. Everything
2Ras dark. I thought my eyes must
have been blown out.
sri lay there few minutes think
ting what would do. My idea was to
get up and wander about until
bamped into some one who could take
me to the hospital or call stretcher
bearer. That was an excellent idea
until I tried to put it into execution.
n tried to rise, but found I was pinned
down. Then I realized what had hap.
7cnad. I was buried alive! I began
asecaiIing the stories of other men who
z had been buried alive.
'4HYhere was no one within mile
half as scared as I was at that mo-
nent. When they dug me out they
found me unconscious. I had re-
seiyed three broken ribs, broken
breast bone and a broken nose. They
:. fastened a couple of tunics across two
rifles and were carrying me to the
hospital on this improvised stretcher
2gF,en stopped piece Of shrapnel.
THAT meant some time in the hos
Mfal. They took me back to Eng
and. When I had been repaired
weat back into the flying service.
Somehow it didn't seem half as danger
sz1s."