Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-04-24
"Over the Top"
By An American Soldier
Who Went
ARTHUR GUY EnPEY
MssLins Gunner Ssreins In France
SYNOPSIS.
MssLins Gum" Ss'sins IN F,snss

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SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I-Fired by the news OF the
sinkinK Of the Lusitania by a German
sbm,ans Arthur y. s,cis Guy Enpsy az PA; nmsm d
goes 20 England where he enlisn In the
Britinh army.
CHAPTER u-After a period OF train
ing Empoy volunteers for Immediate serv-
lee and soon nnds himself 10 rest bnlets
''somewhcre In France" where he frst
makes. the acquaintance OF the ever-pres-
ent "cooties."
CHAPTER III-Empey sttends his frst
church services at tho front while 4 DER
man Fokkcr circles over tho congregation.
CHATTER Iy-Empey's command goes
into the front-llne trenches and 10 under
Ore for the frst time.
CHAPTER v-Empey leains To- adopt
the motto qf tho British Tommy III you
are going ID get Il. you'li 20, IL. 10 never
worry"
CHAPTER vI-Baek IN rest bIllsts. EN-
pey gets his nrst experiences as msss
orderly.
CHAPTER vII-Empey learns how the
British soldiers are fed.
CHAPTER VIff-BAck In the front:llne
trenches go West"
CHAPTER Ix-Empey mnkss his first
visit TO a dugout In Suicide Ditch"
CHAPTER x--Empcy learns what con-
stitutes days work" In the front-lins
trench.
CHAPTER xI-Empey goes ''over the
top" for tho first time IN a charge on the
German trenches and is wounded by
bayonet thrust.
CHAPTER xII-Empey Joins the sui
eide club an the bombing squad 10 called.
CHATTER xfiI-Each Tommy gets an
officiai bath.
CHAPTER xIv-Empey helps dig an
advanced trench under German nre.
CHAPTER xv-On 'listening post" In
No Mans Land
CHAPTER xyI-Two ariilierymen put
one over on Old Pepper. their resimentai
commander.
cape while on patrol duty In No Mans
Land
CHAPTER xvIII-Back In rest biiiets
Empey writes and stages farce comedy.
CHAPTER xIx-soidiers have mnny
ways 60 amusc themselves while "on their
own"
CHAPTER xx-Empey volunteers for
machine gun service and goes back into
the front-iinc trenches
CHATTER xXf-Empcy again goes
''oyor the top" In n charge which cost his
company II killed and u wounded.
CHAPTER XXiI-Trick with machine
gun silenccs one bothersome Fritz
cHAPTEK XXIn-German attack. pre-
ceded by gas wave. is repulsed.
CHAPTER XNiv-fsmpcy 10 forced =.
take part In an execution as member
OF the firing squad.
CHAPTER xxv-British prepare for
the Big Push-the battle OF the Somme.
When we took over the front line
we received an awful shock. The
Germans displayed signboards over
the top OF their trench showing the
nnmes that we had called their
trenches. The signs read "Fair,"
Fact" Fate" and "Fancy." and 40
on, according to the code names on
our map. Then TO rub II In, they
hoisted some more signs which read
Come on. we are ready, stupid Eng
lish."
II is still n mystery to me how they
obtained this knowledge. There had
been no raids or prisoners taken, SC
II must have been the work OF spies
In our own lines.
Three or four days before the big
push we tried TO shatter Frits's nerves
by feint attacks, and partially sue.
ceeded as the oficial reports Of July
show.
Although we were constantly bonn
harding their lines day and night, still
We fooled the Germans several times,
This was accomplished by throwing
an intense barrnge into his lines
then using smoke shells we would put
curtain Of white smoke across No
Mans Land. completely obstructing
his view Of our trenches, and
would raise our curtain Of fire
a. II In an actual attack. All
down our trenches the men would
shout and cheer. and Fritz would turn
loose with machlne-gun, rife, and
shrapnel fire, thinking we were com.
Ing over.
After three or four Of these dummy
attacks his nerves must have been
near the breaking point.
On June "a. 1919. at e:40 In the
morning our guns opened up, and hell
was let loose. The din was terrific, q
constant boom.boom- boom In your ear.
At night the sky was red glare.
Our bombardment had lasted about
two hours when Fritz started reply.
Ing. Although we were sending over
ten shells to his one, our casualties
were heavy. There was a constant
stream Of stretchers coming out Of the
communication trenches and burial
parties were common sight.
! In the dugouts the noise Of the guns
almost hurt. You had the same sensa.
tion as when riding on the subway you
! enter the tube under the river going
to Brooklyn--a sort Of pressure on the
ear drums, and the ground constantly
trembling.
The roads behind the trenches were
very dangerous because Boche shrap.
mel was constantly bursting over them,
We avoided these dangerous spots by
crossing through open fields.
The destruction In the German lines