The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-24

avoid encounter with enemy patrols.
He carries two Mills bombs and pis-
toll but not for use except in extreme
emergency. Also a persuader stick or
q trench knife, which he may use IL
he Is near enough to do it silently.
The patrol stares constantly through
)the dark and gets so he can see almost
as we'll as a cat. He must avoid being
seen. When q vetry light goes UP he
lies still. If he happens to be stand
ing he stands still. Unless the light
is behind him so that he is silhouetted
he is invisible to the enemy.
Approaching a body the patrol lies
quiet and watches 1t for several min
utes. unless It is one he has seen be-
fore and is acquainted with. Because
sometimes the man isn't dead, but a
perfectly live Boche patrol lying dog
60" You can't, be too careful
WHEN PATROL MEETS PATROL
If you happen to be pussyfooting
forward erect and encounter German
patrol 1t is policy to scuttle back UNI
less you are near enough TO get in one
good lick with the persuader. He will
retreat slowly himself and you mustn't
follow him. Because: The British
patrol goes out singly or at the most
in pairs of threes
Inc Germans, on tfIG OLleT manu-
hunt in parties. One man leads. Two
others follow to the rear, one to each
side. And then two more and two
more, so that they form a V. like a
flock of geese. Now n you follow up
the lead man when he retreats you
are baited into q trap and find your
self surrounded, smothered by superior
mum bers and taken prisoner. Then
back to the Boche trench where ex-
ceedlngly unpleasant things are apt
TO happen.
1t is, in fact, most unwholesome for
Ia British patrol to be captured. re-
call case in point which / witnessed
and which is far enough in the past
not ct vimy ridge. but further down
the line nearer the Somme.
was out one night with another
man proving In the dark when / en-
countered g. Canadian sergeant who
was alone. There was a Canadian bait
holding the next trench to us. and an
other further down He was from
the further one. We lay In the mud
and compared notes. Once when a
light ffoated down near US | saw hts
face and he was a man ] knew, though
not by name
After a while we separated and ne
went back as he was considerably off
his patrol An hour or so later the
mist begsn to get gray and II was
evident that dawn was near. I was
"a couple OF hundred yards from our
bait, and my man and I made for the
trenches opposite where we were AS
we climbed into q sap head l was
greeted by Canadian corporal. He
invited me to tin of char" and
sent nv man up the line to our own
position.
We sat on the fire step drinking, and
told the corporal about meeting the
sergeant out in front. While we were
at the char" 1t kept getting lighter.
and presently a pair of Lewises started
to rattle hundred yards or SO away
down tho line. Then a sudden com
motion and a kind OF low growing
shout. That is the best way ] can
describe II, We stood up. and there
below we saw men going over the top.
What the dickens can this bee'
suffered the corporal There's been
charge What is it? What il it,"
CANADIANS TAKE REVENGE
Well, there thew were going over as
many as 400 OF them-growling The
corporal and climbed out OF the
trench at the rear, over the parados.
and ran across lots down TO q point
Opposite where the Canadians had gone
over, and watched.
They swept across No Mans Land
and into the Boche trench There was
the deuce OF ruckus over there for
maybe two minutes and then back
they came-carrying o m e hi n &
Strangely enough there had been no
machine gun fire turned on them as