Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-04-05
CHAPTER XXVI.
All Quiet (?) on the Western Front

and the divisional commander. From
this conversation 1 learned that We
were to lombard the German lines for
eight DAYS. and on the first OF July
the big push" was TO commence.
In a few days orders were issued 10
that effect, and II was common prop
erty all along the line.
On the afternoon OF the eighth day OF
our 'strafeing." Atwell and l were sit
ting in the front-line trench smoking
fags and making out our reports OF the
previous nights tour of the trenches
which We had 10 turn in TO hcadIuar-
tcrs the following day. when an order
was passed down the trench that Old
Pepper requested twenty volunteers 10
go over on a trench raid that night to
try TO get few German prisoners for
information purposes. | Immediately
volunteered for this job and shook
hands with Atwcll and went To the
rear to give my name to the officers in
charge OF the raiding party.
was accepted. wors" luck.
At 9.i5 that night We reported to the
brigade headquarters dugout TO receive
instructions from Old Pepper.
After reaching this dugout We lined
up in Il scInicircle around him and hc
addressed us IA follows:
"All want you boys to do is TO go
over to the German lines tonight, sur
prise tLcm. secure couple OF prison
ers. and return Immediately. Our ar
tillery has bombarded that section OF
the line for two days and personally !
believe that that part of the German
trench is unOcCupicd. so just get cou-
pie OF prisoners and return AZ quickly
as possible"
The sergeant on my right. in IN un-
dcrtonc, whispered to me:
Say. Tank. how are We going to get
a couple of prisoners if the old fool
thinks personally that that part of the
trench il unoccupicd.--soun kind Of
fishy. doesn't it. mate?"
had a funny sinking sensation in
my stomach, and my tin hat felt as II
II weighed about a ton and my enthu-
siasm was melting away. Old Pepper
must have heard the sergeant speak
because he turned in his direction and
In a laundering voice asked:
What did you say?"
The sergeant with q scarlet look on
his -faee- ans -ihaffss--EEhees trembling,
smartly salutel and answered:
Nothing. sir"
Old Pepper said:
well, don't say it so loudly the next
time"
Then Old Pepper continued:
"In this section of the German
trenches there are two or three ma
chine guns which our artillery. in the
last two or three days has been un-
able to tape. These guns command the
sector where two of our communica-
tion trenches join the front line. and
as the brigade is TO 20 over the top to-
morrow morning ! want To capture two
or three men from these guns crews,
and from them may bc able to obtain
valuable information as to the exact
location of the guns. and our artillery
will therefore be able to dcmolish them
before the attack and thus prevent
our losing lot of men while using
these communication trenches to bring
up rc-infOrCements."
These We're the instructions he gave
us:
Take off your identification disks.
strip your uniforms OF all numerals.
insignia. etc. leave your papers with
your captains. because don't want the
Boches TO know what regiments are
against them as this would he valuable
information TO them in our attack to-
morrow and don't want any of you
To he taken alive. What Sant is two
prisoners and II l get them | have n
way which will make them divulge
all necessary information as to their
guns. You have your choice of two
wcapons-you may carry your per-
suadcrs' or your knuckle knives, and
each man will arm himself with four
Mills bombs. these to be used only in
case of emergency"
for a club carried 10y the bombers. It
is about two feet long, thin at one end
and very thick AT the other. The thick
end is studded with sharp steel spikes.
while through the center OF the club
there Is a nine inch lead bar, TO give
II weight and balance When you get
a prisoner all YOU have to do is just
stick this club In front of him. and
believe me. the prisoners patriotism
for Deutschland uber Allies" fades
away and h very willingly obeys the
orders OF his captor II. however. the
prisoner gets high h-toned and refuses to
follow you. simply persuade" him by
first removing his tin hat, and then
well, the use OF the lead weight in the
persuadcr is demonstrated. and Tom
my looks for another prisoner.
The knuckle knife Is a dagger affair.
the blade of which is about eight
inches long with a heavy steel guard
over the grip. This guard Is studded
with steel projections. At night in
trench. which is only about three to
four feet wide. II makes very handy
weapon. One punch in the face gen.
orally skaters a mans jaw and you
can get him with the knife as he goes
down.
Then we had what we called our
come alongs." These are strands OF
harbed wire about three feet long,,
made into moose at one end: at the
other end. the barbs are cut OF and
Tommy slips his wrist through a loop
to get good grip on the wire. If the
prisoner wants to argue the point. why
just place the large loop around his
neck and no matter II Tommy wishes
to return to his trenches at the walk.
trot or gallop, Fritz is perfectly agree
able to maintain Tommy's rate of
speed.