Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-10-23

Kuardsnan. dispatch rider and motor.
car driver he served fourteen months
under the British nag Out Of thirty.
one motorcycle dispatch riders hs vas
one Of four survivors
great tidal wave. but our machine
guns poured steel into them at the
rate Of coo shots per minute, and they d
60 down like grass before the scythe
II they did reach our lines at oil they
never went back to tell about It
It is my honest opinion that man
in action goes temporarily insane, for
were it not SO how could any man con
tinue to work a gun that was sending
hundreds of his fellow creatures into a
heap Of groaning, squirming death
That is exactly what was happening
The Germans were climbing over heaps
of their own dead only to meet the
same fate themselves. The deeds of
valor which have escaped notice around
the Ypres salient would fll at least one
large book.
With the end Of the first battle OF
Ypres our division retired to village
called st. Jean Capelle. While the Bel.
gian civilians had been so nice to US on
the way down from Ostend am sorry
to say that we found them exactly the
opposite here. We had not been In th,'
town three hours before we had three
Belgian peasants arrested and convict.
ed Of espionage.
There was q windmill on a hill just
back Of the village. and some one no
ticed that as soon as We entered the
village this windmill started to go. al,
though there wasn't breath Of air
stirring. Investigation showed that
two Belgians were signaling to the
Germans In this way.
The other case was even worse. One
Of our police stopped an old Belgian
with a bag under his arm and asked
him what was in it He replied that 1t
contained nothing but few vegetables
Something aroused our chaps suspi
cion, and on examination he found that
It contained two pigeons with messages
giving our exact strength attached to
them. These men were taken to the
rear and shot. Things like this make
It very unpleasant for all concerned.
It was about this time that a new
driver was found for the generals car,
90 that left me without any definite
work to do. At that time, too, We had
the first armored cars in action on our
part Of the line. They were beautiful
machines, sixty horsepower. mounted
with machine guns or three Founders
While was waiting to find out what
was to become Of me I made one trip
In the armored car-that Is to say. !
went into action with II once. OF
course the gun was worked by expert
gunners and I was simply acting as q
spare driver In case anything serious
happened. The body Of the car was
covered with bullet proof steel. and II
was bullet proof too.
We didn't get up as far as some OF
the cars had been. but we got quite far
enough to suit me. What with the
racket our gun was makinl and the
noise Of the bullets bouncing OF our
armor plate. II was no place for q
nervous man. The hard part for me
was the inactivity. simply sitting there
and waiting In case should be
wanted.
We didn't stay there so very long.
and was not sorry for It, either
That was my only trip In IN armored
car. AID lrl not particular about hav.
ing any more. thank you.
was advised that the only way
could escape being sent back to Eng.
land was 10 be transferred to the
army service corps. This corps. the
royal engineers and the royal army
medical corps. are the three largest
corps In the British army. When you
Join the A. s. c. you are never sure
just what you will be let in for. be-
cause as a rule an A. s. G. man is ell.
gible for general enlistment. and that
means that he may be used for any
branch Of the service when be Is
needed
My luck had held good SO far. and I
decided that / might as well push 1t
little bit more. and SO ] got transferred
I found that I was to he attached to
the staff of the Fifth army corps. but
as that corps was not yet In the coun-
try was used for anything that turn
ed up.
It became known that could ride q
and so I was temporarily
attached as a spare rides to motor ma.
chine gun section No. 8. These ma
chimes are simply motorcycles with q
side car attached, but instead Of nice
cushioned seat on the side car there IL
. little bucket seat for gunner and u
machine gun. The gunner and ri'lcr
are entirely In the open. as 1t would be
impossible for 80 small machine to
carry any protection ! went ont on
several practice runs. and one night
about II o'clock we were called to take
four of the guns up to the trenches In
q hurry.
I thought I had had some thrilling
Rides in my time. but1 never Imagined
any thing to equal that one. We car
ried no lights and had to fly through
the inky blackness, guessing at the
road. Several times we got stuci and
my mate and ! dragged the machine
out of the ditch and few on again.
Eventually we reached the place on
the Menin road known as hell fire cor.
ner." aud I. think the name must have
been given Il from Its condition TINT
night AS the star shells went up the
whole place would be almost as Hight
Is day. The Germans were shelline
the road and the air was filled with
all kinds of Inissiles
That road was literally death trap.
and how 90 many came out without be-
Ing touched d one OF the mysteries that
never can be explained. We could hear
two Of the guns which had got there
before us IN action further up the road.
We continued to feel our way along
until we came to where our officer was
waiting for ~. He showed ~ our po-
htion and went back to hook for the
machine that bad not yet arrived.
Our position waS fn ditch just BY
Z place where the road had been cut
By an old support trench We eased