Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-07-23

Dead Bodies Everywhere.
"Boys, I'm sorry, but orders have just
been received cancellihg all leave. II
you had been three hours earlier you
would have gotten away. Just stny in
that train, as it Is going back. RatiOns
will be issued to you for your return
journey to your respective stations.
Beastly rotten, know" Then he left.
A dead silence resulted. Then men
started to curse, threw their rifles on
the floor of the car; others said moth
ing, seemed to be stupefied, while some
had the tears running down their
cheeks. It was bitter disappointment
to all.
How we blinded at the engineer of
that train; 1t was all his fault ESQ we
reasoned) why hadn't he speeded up
little or been on time, then we would
have gotten off before the order ar
rived? Now 1t was no Blighty for US.
That return journey was misery to
US; just can't describe it.
When we got back to rest billets, we
found that our brigade was In the
trenches (another agreeable surprise)
and that an attack was contemplated.
Seventeen Of the forty-one will never
get another chance to 60 on leave;
they were killed in the attack. Just
think If that train had been on time,
those seventeen would still be alive.
I hate to tell you how l was kidded
by the boys when I got back, but 1t was
good and plenty.
Our machine gun company took over
their part Of the line at seven o'clock.
the night after I returned from my
near leave.
At $3.50 the following morning three
waves went over and captured the first
and second German trenches. The
machine gunners went over with, the
fourth wave to consolidate the cap
tured line or "dig in," as Tommy calls
it.
Crossing No Mans Land without
clicking any casualties, we came to
the German trench and mounted our
guns on the parados Of same.
never saw such mess In my LIE
punches of twisted barbed wire lying
about, shell holes everywhere, trench
all Dashed in, parapets gone, and dead
bodies, why, that ditch was full OF
them, theirs and ours. It was regu'
lar morgue. Some were mangled hor-
ribly from our shell fire, while others
were wholly or partly buried in the
mud, the result Of shell explosions cav.
ing in the walls Of the trench. One
dead German was lying on his back.
with rife sticking straight up In the
air, the bayonet of which was buried
to the hilt in his chest. Across his feet
lay dead English soldier with bull
let hole in his forehead. This Tommy
must have been killed just as he ran
his bayonet through the German.
Rifles and equipment were scattered
about, and occasionally steel helmet
could be seen sticking out Of the mud.
At one point, just in the entrance to
communication trench, was stretch
er. On this stretcher q German was
lying with white bandage around his
knee. near to him lay one OF the
stretcher-bearers, the red cross on his
arm covered with mud and his helmet
filled with blood and brains. Close by,
sitting up against the wall Of the
trench, with head resting on his chest,
was the other stretcher-bearer. He
seemed to be alive, the posture was 30
natural and easy; but when I got
closer / could see q large, Jagged hole
in his temple The three must have.
been killed by the same shell-burst.
The dugouts were all smashed In and
Knocked about, big square-cut timbers
splintered into bits. walls caved In and
entrances choked
Tommy, after taking trench, learns
to his sorrow that the hardest part OF
the work is to hold II
In our case this proved to b 90
The German artillery and machine
guns had us taped (ranged) for fair;
It was worth your Life to expose pour
self an instant.
Don't think for q minute that the
Germans were the only sufferers; we
were clicking Casualties 70 fast that
you needed an adding machine to keep
track Of them.
Did vou over 80 one Of the steam