The herald., 1917-09-27
HARD Work AHEAD
lien Build Railroads and Dug
outs While Under Terrific
Fire of Guns.
TROOpSPUT DOWNSTEEL ROAD
Ciary OF Wounded Sapper Furnishes
Interesting Reading, Because 1t
Tells So Much Without Any
Attempt at Flourish.

His company had been laying line
over what some time ago was mo
mans land" The British infantry had
moved forward and the guns, quick
firing and heavy. had followed up. Be-
hind them again came railway troops,
putting down the steel road to facili-
tate the feeding Of the fighting troops.
This sapper had jumped into an old
German trench and had landed on a
slightly covered hand grenade, writes
Victor Mcclure in Chicago Daily
News. The grenade exploded, and
lamed him, with the result that after
a smooth journey to England he lay
In bed in London hospital.
He was q splendid type Of sapper,
keen on his work, proud of the achieve
ments Of his fellows in France, glad
that he had helped and conscious Of
the value Of the railways laid by the
plate-laying companies to the lighting
men proper. He had been in France
for % months, unbroken except for
two short leaves in England, and dur
ing that time he had kept diary. 1t
is good reading, this sapper's diary. 1t
tells so much without flourish; 1t
shows more than would q more schol-
arly report just how much had been
accomplished behind the lines in
France. II Is written by man who
knows his work and who apparently is
always eager that that to which he
sets his hand should be done in rec
ord time and in workmanlike fashion.
Prepared for His Work.
He came to the army, as do so many
of the sappers in the new army, with
his trade ut his fingers ends, and more
than half his training done. The work
he did in France was not new to him.
The conditions were different-much
Of the work was done within range of
the enemy's guns. Unlike most OF us,
whom the war found unprepared, his
work was ready for him and he knew
how to carry 1t out. He spent short
time in England until he knew what
every sapper must learn beside his
trade-hOw to fall into line ut the
word of command, when to turn and
how - handle his rifle. Because the
corps Of royal engineers is popularity
supposed TO be noncOmbatant-a mis-
take. be It said-there Is hardly any
branch Of the service where Infantry
drill is so carefully instilled into the
men.
Sapper Blanks company arrived In
France in the early days OF the war
and within a day Of landing on French
soil had started work ION q big ord
nance yard. The company was there
about ten weeks, and there we were
joined by other r. Els"
Major Liked the Work.
The major addressed the men and
said how splendidly they had done the
lob intrusted TO them, and how much
he appreciated the way in which II
was carried out.
81 am proud Of you, and am very
grateful to you all!" he said. "Yor
are a credit to the corps to which yor
DeIOQR anu u Tic Va yoNi NcAh
pany. Go on. men. Do rs you have
been doing. and always try to bear II
mind that no job is beneath you. Yor
are doing your bit by this plate-layint
and your work is just as important o.
filling a cannon or firing in thu
trenches"
The diary next records route marcf
in a way that reminds one Of Pepys
The company had moved TO another
place for n rest.
I'VE went for route march 20 SOM
woods adjoining the town; We had
pleasant time. picking primroses, etc
Our officer reminded US that we SHOULD
probably look back on that time in af
ter years, when we walked in tn
peaceful woods, hearing the nightln
gale singing, when away in the dis
lance we could hear the sound OF III
big guns firing In the terrible BATH
that was raging at Ypres." The battl
of which the sapper talks was tn