Oxford eagle., 1918-05-23
"0ver the Top"
Dy An American Solder
Whs Went
ARTHUR GUY EnPEY
Msekfne Csnnsr Serving IN Francs


Bs 81800k kxkHt 10xr
- sdvnnesd artillery observation
pas1 his dueout was q roomy affair.
~ - s1ndR. and real cots In IL
nsss eoes had been made By she
= II wAe had previously occupied
- o10ugt I was the frst 20 enter
onA pFa1Dey made q Ggnboard with
- naDe and number on II and sue-
pan1o1 it frum the fo0t OF the most
oomfurfnhae cot therein.
n ne nunches IL In always s-drst
0DA 1F2 oavsd" and this In lived
- % hg -
Ts 4 y. A men fRoyal Field ar-
on91 nu9 the nearby observation
- vuRe allowed the privilege Of
0nDB1ng In this dueout whsn on duty.
o. ef fhsss men. Bcmbardier WI
- b. mana. who belonged 10 Bat
" D IA seemed % take q liking
- - md I returned this feeling.
y tvs oayI time we were pretty
ahunny. md - told me how his bat
|" n IL sarfy days Of the war had
~ svsr . stunt on Old Pepper. and
- eoessa sway with II.
WIN cndeavsr TO give the story a.
- - nsnsgy Win permit In his own
vu1B:
4 cans ct with the farsf expedi-
uonau force. and. Ike Ill the rest.
0ought Ne would have the enemy
ocked In Jzs time. and Be able to eat
Christmas dinner sf home. Wei. 90
mr.. i have eaten two Christmas din
n9s In The trenches. and am liable to
saf two more. the way thinu are
pointing. That II. II Fritz don't drop
Q whixz-bang' On me. and send me 70
Bighty. Sometimes ! wish ] would
81 hit because It's no great picnic
ct here. and twenty-five months Of II
Dakss you fed mp.
IFS fairly cushy now compared 70
vhsf n used to be. although I admit
0is trench is q trine rough Now.
~ send over i've shells 10 their one.
We are getting our own back. bur In
ehs sariy Days II was different. Then
- had 70 take everything without
Wpay. In fscf. Ne wouid get twenty
shells In return for every one ne sent
Sv0. Rrif1 seemed 10 enjoy n. but
- British d1dnf: we were the suf-
hsrsF1 Just one casuaity after an
seher. Sometimes whole plstoons
vuule d1sappear. especially when q
cAek yohnsun' piunked into their
mA6dle- n rot % bad that O fellow.
wAsn writing home. wouldn't ash for
40 czgnreefss 20 be sent out. becauss
- was afraid he wouldn't be there 70
receive them.
After the drive 10 Paris was turned
back. trench warfare started Our
general grabbed a map. drew e pencil
ncrSss IL and said. Tpig here Then
- went back 20 his tea, and Tommy
armed himself with q pick and shovel
and started digging Hes been dig
g1ng ever since
W course we dug those trenches af
night. but n was hot work. what with
TIE rife and mAchine-gun ire The
strefcher bearers worked harder than
the diggerA
Those trenchea. bloomin' bitches,
cali them. were nighfnAres- They we're
only about Eve feet deep. and you used
- - the backache from bsnoans
oDwn- II wasn't exactly safe 20 srnnd
wright eithG. beczuse % soon -
yugr napper showed over the top q
bunst would bounce OF II. or else come
- eicse II would make your hair stand
We used 10 fll sandbags and sr1ch
nem On top Of the parapet 10 make n
higher. but no uss: they would be
eAsrs about m hour and fhen Friez
would turn loose and blow them %
bitA Ny neck used 70 be sore from
ouckinG shells and buIlsn-
where my battery was stationed Q
hasU trench had bssn dug. which
a. boys nicknamsc Suicide d1fcA'
and believe me. Yank. this wns d
original Suicide ditcA.' An rhs eeAsrs
ass limitations.
Whn O fellow went info that
rsnch n vas an even gamble that he
voud come out q q strstcher. At ooe
uns q Scotch battahoo head IL. anA
vA0 they heard fhe hsefing was svun
osoey that they'd come out On
arsech9x thsy grzbbsd al the bsss
IN aght LIKE q lot of baliy ioiotx sev-
Gal q the bsffay nsn tn for fhsar
onDA and put up real money. The
JockT suffered q lot az casualtass. ana
~ pruspecn looked bright for the
oorfary mo % collect come aaay
0oosS- N vAss fhs haffslion v~s -
nevso me Umblers finsd up. Beversr
yockS Got their monsy for smerginr
safsly. but u onss vAo clicksd n
vsrunr there b pay. Ths art1Iisry-
nen had nsvsr fhoueAf II out shst
wsy. Those ecotriss were bound no
b surs winnera. no msffsr how the
w1nd blew. 30 take q cip from ma.
ssvsr bet with q SCOTIA cause youn
ksss nonsy.
AT ons perf of our trsnch whsrs
Q commun1cafion trsocA joans6 the
fuuf line q Tommy had stuck up a
wooden ssgnpost with three hands or
arms a r. One Of fhs hands point
ing % the German finss. read -Te Bsr-
hnr the one pointing down rhs COM
muxdcafion trench read. TO Bnrhty.'
while the other said Suicide Ditch.
Change Here for stretchern'
- - n