Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-03-08
CHAPTER NV.
Picks and Shovels.

| had not slept long before the sweet
voice OF the sergeant informed that
NO. ! section had clicked for another
blinking digging party" | smiled 10
myself with deep satisfaction. ] had
been promoted from mere digger to
u member uf the Suicide club, and
waS exempt from all latigueS. Then
came an awful shock. The sergeant
ioukud over in my direction and said:
Don't you bomb throwcrs think
yuu are wearing top hats out here
'tOrdin' TO orders you've been taken
M on the strength OF this section, and
will have To do your bit with the pick
and shovel, same as the rest of u.s.
put up Il howl on my way 10 ge,
my shovel, but the only thing that re-
suited was Il loss OF good humor on
my part.
We fell in 1T eight o'clock, outside
of our billets. Il sort of masquerade
PARTY. | WAS disguised as IL common
laburer, had a pick and shovel, and
about one hundred empty sandbags
The rest, about two hundred in all
were equipped likewise: picks, shovels
Sandbags. rifles and ammunition.
The party moved out in column OF
fourS. taking the road leading TO the
trenches. Several times we had tt
string out in the ditch TO let long col
uinnS Of limbcrs. artillery and supplies
get past.
The marching. under these condi'
tionS. was necessarily slow. Upon ar
rival at the entrance to the commune
cation trench, | looked ut my illumi'
mated wrist watch-it was clever
o'clock.
Before entering this trench. wprt
WAS passed down the line, mo talking
or smoking. lead off in single file, Gov.
cring party first"
This covering party consisted of 81
men. armed with rifles. bayonets
bombs. and two Lewis machine guns
They were to protect US and guart
against 4 surprise attack while dig
rng in No Mans Land.
The communication trench wa:
about half Il mile long, a zigzaggint
ditch. eight feet deep and three fee
wide.
Now and again. German Shra pne
would whistle overhead and burst ir
our vicinity. We would crouch agains
the carthcrn walls while the shcl
fragments slapped" the ground above
us
once Fritz turned loose with u MA
chine gun. the bullets from which
cracked" through the air and kicked
up the dirt on the top. scattering sant
and pebbles. which, hitting our stee
helmets, sounded like hailstones.
Upon arrival in the fire trench ar
officer of the Royal Engineers gave u!
our instructions and acted rs guide.
We were tn dig an advanced trench
two hundred yards from the German:
Nhe trenches at this point were si'
hundred yards apart.
Two winding lanes, five feet wide
had been cut through our barbed wire
for the passage Of the diggers. From
these lines white tape had been lait
on the ground to the point where VI
were TO commence work. This In or
der that we would not get lost in th'
darkness. The proposed trench wa!
also laid out with tape.
The covering party went out first
After Il short wait, two scouts cam'
back with information that the work
ing party was to follow and carry on
| with their work.
In extended order, two yards apart
we noiselessly crept across No Man!
Land. II was nervous work: ever!
| minute we expected a machine gun II
open fire on us. Stray bullets crack
| ed around us, or a ricochet SAM
overhead.
Arriving at the taped diagram o
the trench. rifles slung around ou
shoulders. we lost no time in gettini
to work. We dug as quietly as pos
sible hut every now and then the nois'
of pick or shovel striking ston'
would send the cold shivers down ou
| backs Under our breaths we hearth!
cursed the offending Tommy.
At intervals star shell would go III
from the German lines and we woult
| remain motionless until the glare o
| its white light died out.
When the trench had reached
depth of two feet. we felt safer, be
| cause II would AFFORD us cover In cas-
! we were discovered and fired OH.
The digging had been in progress