Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1917-09-21
Men Build Railroads and Dug.
outs While Under Terrific
Fire of Guns.
rROOPSPUT DOWNSTEEL ROAD
Diary 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
slightly covered hand grenade, writes
Victor Mcclure in Chicago Daily
News. The grenade exploded, and
famed him. with the result that after
a smooth journey to England he lay
in bed in London hospital.
He was 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 fighting
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 a more schol-
arly report just how much had been
accomplished behind the lines in
France. 1t is written by a 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 at 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 it out. He spent short
time in England until he knew what
every sapper must learn beside his
trade-how to fall into line at the
word of command, when to turn and
how to handle his rifle. Because the
corps of royal engineers is popularity
supposed to be noncombatant-a mis-
take, be 1t 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 day of landing on French
soil had started work ION a 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
job intrusted to them, and how much
he appreciated the way in which 1t
was carried out.
81 am proud of you, and am very
grateful to you all p he said. "You
are a credit to the corps to which you
belong and to the officers of your COM
pany. Go on, men. Do as you have
been doing, and always try to bear in
mind that no job is beneath you. You
are doing your bit by this plate-laying
and your work is just as important as
filling a cannon or firing in the
trenches"
The diary next records route march
In way that reminds one of Pepys.
The company had moved to another
| place for rest.
1--WE went for route march to some
woods adjoining the town; we had q
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 the
/ peaceful woods, hearing the nightin-
gale singing, when away in the dis
lance we could hear the sound of the
big guns firing in the terrible battle
that was raging at Ypres." The battle
Of which the sapper talks was the