Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-01-14
I eribZe Gas Attack
Proues Failure, Much
to Surprise of Huns
'Dead' Men Arise From
Places in Trenches and
ProUe TO BE Very
Much Alive.

"a more vivid. thrilling, humorous.
witty, sruesome. zippy and roilickinsiy
funny s,or? of TIE l::e in the trenches
has never been written. The narrator
of this Life in the Trenches" is
young Scotchman. who at the outbreak
OF the war was employed in the ca
pacity OF an humble clerk in London
bank. He tells the story of his num-
berless adventures from the day of his
landing at u certain French port to
the time when he WAS tagged for
Biighty." Participator in more than
twenty battles" fifty raids and
three great pushcs": wounded eight
times. but never asked TO be sent
home" each time returning to the
battle line for he was lonesome for
the trenches and the Fritzies"; cursinE
at misfortune with always a smile on
his lips: now laughing. now signing.
but never srumb!n6: this wonderful
specimen of Scottish grit and English
craftsmanship tells story that keeps
his reader always near him: feeling
his every impulse, cursinS when he
curses. and laughing when he laushs.I
Big scraps" had no more terror for
me. In fact. what we hated the most
was "id!encsS.' Our company was
again transferred 10 another section.
and we had scarcely taken our now
positions when the signal to 80 "ovcr
the top was given.
I'll take YOU right through that
battle from the beginning
First of all. there was the artillery
bomhardment.
II IL were allowable. | could tell you
something that would aStonish YOU
about tho bisEu onslaught. not about
its intensity. for that could never be
adequately Scribed--it was 80 over
whe lining.
II was o'clock in the morning when
we went over and | can assure you
there has proba bly, never been any
thing like that charge in the history
Of the war.
Not that there was any sansuinary
lighting that sort Of thing-for a
reason I'll explain latcr-bu; so keen
were the mon to be ''up and at en-"
that many would actually have out
stripped their officers had they not
been kept in hand.
That's a fact.
II was just breathless race behind
tho barragc
Right in front OF US it streamed, like
swift cascade Of steel and smoke, and
| where i; fell the Garth was boiling
like black water in Il pot.
fou never saw anything SO wonder
ful-for those in its rear. For the Ger
mans in front OF it--wcll. il was not
long before NC found out what they
thought. We had good idea OF their
opinions as we passed over the ruins
of their trenches. but not until We had
come into actual contact with them
did VIC realize what terror Of an
ordeal it was which they had endured
We had been ordered TO take GER
I tain spot and not to go beyond it, but
to clean up all the Boches we came
across.
There were four lines OF trenches in
cluded in that area. and over one, two
and three VIC swept without ever clap
ping eye on living one.
There were plenty Of dead
Not until We were nearing tho fourth
did we run up against, or rather OBJ
serve. the first hatch Of live ones
our harrasc had lifted a bit by this
time. and there they were. racing
around like hunted things.
With ycll VIC were a, them. when
suddenly disaster camc--for me. A bit
Of Hun Shrap burst near nc. and was
down and out with u crippled foot aud
leg
BAD luck? don't know what To call
it uhcn think or the sequel.
had been running alongside. an old
pal. and when ! fell the first thing
did was to case myself up TO sec how
he had Jared. was sure he would
be down and out, too. but when 7
Continued on Fourth Pase)