The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1918-11-28
OVER THE TOP
ARTHUR GUY EMPEY

Going up this trench, about every
sixty yards or so we would pass lone
ly sentry, who In a whisper would
wish US 1.-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 minstrel
troop arrived at Suicide ditch the
front-line trench. Previously, a wiring
party of the Royal Engineers had cut
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 a tap code arranged for our
movements while in No Mans Land,
because for various reasons 1t Is not
safe to cargy en- heated conversation
Il 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 | received
them, then | 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 under
stood, and that the party was ready
to obey the two-tap signal. Two taps
meant that we were to crawl forward
slowly-and believe me. very slowly
for five yards and then halt to await
when you arrived within striking d =
tance of the German trench, rush it
and inflict as many casualties as pos
sible, secure a couple of prisoners, and
then back to your own lines with the
speed clutch open. -Four taps meant,
II 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 ION 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 TWEEN
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 Rugged the
ground and held our breath until it
burned out. The smoke from the star
shell Travelled along the ground and
Al 1f HVNn
Some Tommy sneezed. The smoke had
gotten up his nose. We crouched on
the ground, cursing the offender under
our breath and waited the volley that
generally ensues when the Germans
have heard noise in No Mans Land.
Nothing happened, We received Two
taps and crawled forward slowly for
five yards; no doubt the officer be-
lieved what Old Pepper had said, "Per-
sonally believe that that part of the
German trench is unocCuped.' BY be-
Ing careful and remaining motioness
when the star shells fell behind US, We
reached the German barbed wire with
out mishap. Then the fun began.
was scared stiff as 1t is ticklish work
cutting your way through wire when
about thirty feet in front of you there
Is line of Boches looking out into No
across the parapet, straining every
sense to see or hear what is going on
In No Mans Lund because at night,
Fritz never knows when n bomb with
his name and number on 1t will come
hurting through the air aimed in the
direction of Berlin The man on the
right. one man in the center and my
self on the extreme left were equipped
with wire cutters. These are insulated
with soft rubber not because the Ger
man wires are charged with electricity.
but to prevent the cutters rubbing
against the barbed wire stakes, which
are of iron, and making noise
which may warn the inmates of the
trench that someone Is getting fresh
in their front yard. There is only one
way to cut a barbed wire without noise
and through costly experience Tommy
has become an expert in doing this.
You must grasp the wire about two
inches from the stake In your right
hand and cut between the stake and
your hand
If you cut a wire improperly, a
loud twang Will ring out on the night
air like the swapping of banjo
string. Perhaps this noise can be
heard only for fifty or seventy-five
yards, but in Tommy's mind it makes
a loud noise In Berlin.
We had cut lane about halfway
through the wire when, down the cen
ter of our line, twang! went an i'm
properly cut wire. We crouched down,