The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-04-26

munication trench named Whisky
Street, which led 20 the fire trench a
the point we were to go over the top
and out in front.
In our rear were four stretcher bear
ers and q corporal of the f. A. N. {.
carrying pouch containing medicines
and first-aid appliances. Kind OF a
grim reminder to us that our eXpedf-
ton was not going to be exactly q pie
mic. The order of things was reversed.
In civilian life the doctors generally
come first, with the undertakers tag.
ging in the rear and then the insur-
ance man, but in our case, the under.
takers were leading, with the doctors
trailing behind, minus the insurance
'adjuster.
The presence OF the r. A. NJ. c. men
did not seem to disturb the raiders. be-
cause many a joke made in an under
tone, was passed along the winding
column, as to who would be first to
take O ride on one of the stretchers.
This was generally followed by wish
that, if you were to be the one, the
wound would be 'cushy Blighty
one"
The stretct1er bearers. no doubt,
hoping that, if they did have to carry
anyone to the rear, he would be small
and light. Perhaps they looked at me
when wishing, because l could feel an
uncomfortable, boring sensation be-
tween my shoulder blades. They got
their wish all right.
Going up this trench, about every
sixty yards or so we would pass lone
ly sentry, who in a whisper would
wish us "the best O. luck, mates" We
would blind at him under our breaths; :;
that Jonah phrase to us sounded very
ominous.
Without any casualties the mlnsSrel
troop arrived at Suicide ditch, the
front-line trench. Previously, wiring
party Of the Royal Engineers had cut
a lane through our barbed wire to en-.
able us to get out into No Mans Land
Crawling through this lane, our
party Of twenty took up an extended
order formation about one yard apart
We had tap code arranged for our
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons it is not
safe to carry on heated conversation
few yards in front Of Fritz lines
The officer was on the right Of the
line, while was on the extreme left
Two taps from the right would be
passed down the line until I received
them, then I would send back one tap.
The officer, in receiving this one tap
would know that his order had gone
down the whole line, had been u>der.
stood, and that the party was 'eady
to obey the two-tap signal. Two taps
meant that we were to crawl forward
sIowly-and believe me, very slowly
for five yards, and then halt to t.'~ait
further instructions. Three taps meant,
VIXEN you arrived within striking dis
tance of the German trench, rash It
and infiict as many casualties as pps-
sible, secure couple Of prisoners, ana
then back to your own lines with the
speed clutch open. Four taps meant,
81 have gotten you into position from
which it is impossible for me to extri.
cate you, so you are on your own
After getting Tommy into mess on
the western front he is generally told
that he is "en his own" This means,
"Save your skin in any way possible"
Tommy loves to be ION his own" behind
the lines, but not during trench raid.
The star shells from the German
lines were falling in front Of US. there
fore we were safe. After about twen-
ty minutes we entered the star shell
zone. A star shell from the German
lines fell about five yards in the rear
and to the right Of me; we hugged the
ground and held our breath until 1t
burned out. The smoke from the star
shell Travelled along the ground and
crossed over the middle Of our line.
Some Tommy sneezed. The smoke had
gotten up his nose. We crouched on
the ground, cursing the offender under
ouY, Y>..n!:'l. nd waited the volley that
seAe.ally e: .ues when the Germans